angeldemon_007
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Amid growing maritime assertiveness of China, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday called for a strong Indo-Japanese cooperation in defence and asked for increasing the frequency of Naval exercises between the two countries. This, he said, would be a good deterrence to China and secure the sea links.
Pointing that China will remain both an opportunity and a risk for a long time to come, Abe said, Joint exercises between India and Japan is not for counter-balancing but for deterring China.
Abe said with Indias plans of having a three aircraft carrier Navy, it can keep the Asian sea lines stable and such a step can assure Vietnamese, Americans, South Koreans if not the Chinese.
Pointing that America is destined to become weaker in relative terms, he said, there is no question which side we, Japan and India should take.
However, he said, In the meantime, let India and Japan work together with the Americans, so that there will be no strategic void. We are ready and willing to be used by India to enhance your ties with America.
There has been a changing power equation in Asia, which is also evident by the increasingly assertive Chinese foreign policy. Chinese efforts to enforce its maritime claims vis-à-vis other navies including Indias in South China Sea have been seen as a precursor to a future squabble. Beijings assertion over waters of South and East China Sea has alleviated fears over its so called peaceful rise. Beijing has called its pursuit of sophisticated missiles, satellites, cyber-weapons and fighter jets, stressing that its policy is defensive in nature.
Both India and China are also engaged in an uneasy showdown over exploration rights in South China Sea.
Japan PM bullish on defence ties
Pointing that China will remain both an opportunity and a risk for a long time to come, Abe said, Joint exercises between India and Japan is not for counter-balancing but for deterring China.
Abe said with Indias plans of having a three aircraft carrier Navy, it can keep the Asian sea lines stable and such a step can assure Vietnamese, Americans, South Koreans if not the Chinese.
Pointing that America is destined to become weaker in relative terms, he said, there is no question which side we, Japan and India should take.
However, he said, In the meantime, let India and Japan work together with the Americans, so that there will be no strategic void. We are ready and willing to be used by India to enhance your ties with America.
There has been a changing power equation in Asia, which is also evident by the increasingly assertive Chinese foreign policy. Chinese efforts to enforce its maritime claims vis-à-vis other navies including Indias in South China Sea have been seen as a precursor to a future squabble. Beijings assertion over waters of South and East China Sea has alleviated fears over its so called peaceful rise. Beijing has called its pursuit of sophisticated missiles, satellites, cyber-weapons and fighter jets, stressing that its policy is defensive in nature.
Both India and China are also engaged in an uneasy showdown over exploration rights in South China Sea.
Japan PM bullish on defence ties
