Japan-India ties cause for concern to China: report

Japan's move to lift decades-old ban on arms exports as well as its efforts to strengthen ties with India and deepen defence cooperation with it are a cause for concern to China, the state-run media here said.

Japan's decision, which would allow its companies to take part in arms development projects with countries other than the US, was followed by a $ 15 billion currency swap deal between Japan and India, a media report said.

Japanese and Indian navies are also expected to hold their first joint drill next year.

The daily noted that Japan had just concluded its first-ever trilateral dialogue with the US and India in Washington.

Japan's moves toward boosting its military might will send alarming signals across Asia, Shi Yinhong, a researcher at the China Institute of International Studies in Beijing, said.

An arms trade between Japan and India may further deepen tensions in the Asia-Pacific because China is a potential target of the two evolving strategic partnership, Zhao Gancheng, director of the South Asia research department at the Shanghai Institute for International Studies, claimed.

?In terms of political safety, (Japan) wants to counter China by linking with countries such as the US, India and Australia. But on the other hand, it is aware of the fact that Sino-Japanese relations are a prerequisite for its quest to become a normal country. So personally, I think the policy is itself contradictory,? Zhao said.

Nonetheless, Liu Jiangyong, an expert on Japan studies at Tsinghua University, said Tokyo's incentives are primarily economic.

... contd.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/japanindia-ties-cause-for-concern-to-china-report/893880/

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