Janbaz
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TOKYO (AFP) - The United States may join Japan and India when the two Asian nations conduct their first joint naval drills this year in the Pacific, an official said Monday.
Japan, which has been seeking to boost ties with India to counter frequent tension with China, agreed at a December summit to hold naval exercises with New Delhi in 2007. ââ¬ÅWe are coordinating joint sea drills with India sometime this year, following last yearââ¬â¢s summit between the two prime ministers,ââ¬Â said a spokesman for Japanââ¬â¢s defence ministry.
ââ¬ÅIt is unclear at this point whether the United States will participate in the drill,ââ¬Â said the spokesman, who did not rule out the possibility. He was responding to a report in the Tokyo Shimbun that the United States has taken an initiative to hold three-way exercises with Japan and India in April. The drill is likely to focus on safety measures to be taken in the event of a major natural disaster in the Pacific such as a tsunami, it said.
The report came a day after China announced its defence budget would soar by 17.8 percent in 2007, eliciting concern in both Washington and Tokyo. The Japanese spokesman denied the drill was linked to China, saying: ââ¬ÅWe are not targeting one country in particular as an enemy to contain.ââ¬Â Japan and India already hold coast guard exercises. Earlier a report said that Japan, the United States and India will carry out a joint military drill in the Pacific off Japanââ¬â¢s coast amid concerns about Chinaââ¬â¢s military build-up.
The Pentagon will call on Japan and India to participate in the military exercise set for next month, the regional Tokyo Shimbun newspaper reported, citing unnamed Japanese and US govt sources.
Japanese naval escort vessels and maritime patrol helicopters are expected to participate in the drill, it said. China has seen double-digit increases in its military spending nearly every year for the past 15 years.
Washington and Tokyo have called on Beijing to be more transparent about its massive budget.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has repeatedly said he wants to develop closer ties with India. He and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in December agreed to start talks on a free trade deal.
The Nation.
http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/mar-2007/6/index10.php
Japan, which has been seeking to boost ties with India to counter frequent tension with China, agreed at a December summit to hold naval exercises with New Delhi in 2007. ââ¬ÅWe are coordinating joint sea drills with India sometime this year, following last yearââ¬â¢s summit between the two prime ministers,ââ¬Â said a spokesman for Japanââ¬â¢s defence ministry.
ââ¬ÅIt is unclear at this point whether the United States will participate in the drill,ââ¬Â said the spokesman, who did not rule out the possibility. He was responding to a report in the Tokyo Shimbun that the United States has taken an initiative to hold three-way exercises with Japan and India in April. The drill is likely to focus on safety measures to be taken in the event of a major natural disaster in the Pacific such as a tsunami, it said.
The report came a day after China announced its defence budget would soar by 17.8 percent in 2007, eliciting concern in both Washington and Tokyo. The Japanese spokesman denied the drill was linked to China, saying: ââ¬ÅWe are not targeting one country in particular as an enemy to contain.ââ¬Â Japan and India already hold coast guard exercises. Earlier a report said that Japan, the United States and India will carry out a joint military drill in the Pacific off Japanââ¬â¢s coast amid concerns about Chinaââ¬â¢s military build-up.
The Pentagon will call on Japan and India to participate in the military exercise set for next month, the regional Tokyo Shimbun newspaper reported, citing unnamed Japanese and US govt sources.
Japanese naval escort vessels and maritime patrol helicopters are expected to participate in the drill, it said. China has seen double-digit increases in its military spending nearly every year for the past 15 years.
Washington and Tokyo have called on Beijing to be more transparent about its massive budget.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has repeatedly said he wants to develop closer ties with India. He and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in December agreed to start talks on a free trade deal.
The Nation.
http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/mar-2007/6/index10.php
