Farmers Movement Archive

‘No space for unilateral attempts to change status quo in free Indo-Pacific’: Japanese ambassador

There is no space for unilateral attempts to alter the status quo by coercion in a free and open Indo-Pacific region, be it in Ladakh or the East China Sea, Japan’s ambassador to India, Satoshi Suzuki, said against the backdrop of concerns in both countries about China’s actions.Japan perceives India as the “most natural strategic partner” to promote a free and inclusive Indo-Pacific, and this year’s Malabar naval exercise was an example of efforts by the four members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad to ensure the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, and uphold freedom of navigation and overflight, he said in an interview.Suzuki also said it is important to involve other countries in efforts by Japan, Australia and India to create resilient supply chains, following the launch of this initiative through a ministerial meeting in September. This trilateral initiative is also part of the Japanese government’s efforts to help Japanese industries diversify supply chains and become more resilient.Also read: ‘Agriculture can’t be run sitting in Delhi’ - Sharad Pawar slams Centre for ‘bulldozing’ farm lawsAsked specifically about the India-China border standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and China’s aggressive actions within Japan’s territorial waters, Suzuki replied, “In a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific where the rule of law prevails, there is no place for any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by coercion. “Be it in Ladakh, in the East China Sea, or in the South China Sea, Japan stands firm to uphold the principles that underpin a rules-based international order. I think this is also the best example where we have seen growing strategic convergence in both countries’ thinking.”Japan, which was among the first countries to call for maintenance of status quo on the LAC, has been grappling with the activities of Chinese official vessels in its territorial waters near the disputed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.Suzuki said, India has been Japan’s “most natural strategic partner” to promote the vision of a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their first phone conversation on September 25 that his administration will “continue to attach significance to this vision”.Following the presence of all four members of the Quad – Japan, India, Australia and the US – in this year’s Malabar exercise, Suzuki said he looked forward to seeing the four maritime forces continuing to operate together in future. “These four countries, or the Quad, share a common vision of ensuring a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific in which the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity are ensured, and all countries enjoy freedom of navigation and overflight. The Malabar exercise this year was a great example of our joint efforts to this end,” he said.While speaking of the Japanese government’s efforts to help the country’s companies diversify their supply chains and the backing for two pilot projects and feasibility studies in India, Suzuki said a “further improvement of business environment is important here (in India)”. He added, “To make India more attractive to investors, predictability and stability of business environment are critical, including the continued free flow of goods, such as intermediary goods which are indispensable to fulfil ‘Make in India’ objectives.”Suzuki also said Japan remains committed to the flagship Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project, with tenders for important packages, including the largest civil package, having been successfully made. Japan also wants to explore more collaborations in third countries with India after their successful efforts in building roads and bridges in Bangladesh and working on the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital in the Maldives, he said.Apart from supporting the Indian government’s efforts for post-Covid recovery through 50 billion yen (about Rs 7,500 crore) budget support and 1 billion yen (about Rs 150 crore) grant assistance, Japan also backs the concept of a patent pool, to which India has expressed support, to promote voluntary licensing of intellectual property to enable emerging countries to have access to vaccines and medicines, Suzuki said.

Hindustan Times

29-12-2020

India