Japanese media hails successful 16th India-Japan Annual Summit, highlights deepening strategic ties

Japanese media highlighted the successful 16th India-Japan Annual Summit, where Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Sanae Takaichi agreed to deepen cooperation on security, supply chains, critical minerals, maritime ties, and defence technology, reinforcing their strategic partnership in the Indo-Pacific

Tokyo: Several Japanese newspapers and media outlets have carried positive coverage of the successful 16th India-Japan Annual Summit held in New Delhi, underscoring the steady advancement of bilateral relations across a wide range of strategic and economic sectors.

The coverage came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart, PM Sanae Takaichi, held the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit talks on Thursday, where both leaders reviewed and strengthened the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation.

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Prime Minister Takaichi moved to tighten ties with one of Japan’s key Indo-Pacific partners during a summit with PM Modi in New Delhi on Thursday amid mounting concerns over supply chain issues, energy security, and China’s expanding regional influence, The Japan Times reported.

“For Tokyo, the summit comes as tensions with Beijing grow over China’s continued use of economic leverage, including recent export control measures tied to dual-use goods and the blacklisting of Japanese companies,” the report stated. “With supply chain resilience positioned as a diplomatic priority for the Takaichi administration, India has become an increasingly attractive partner given its large market, an expanding manufacturing base, and a deep pool of tech workers,” it added.

Japan regards India as a key partner in advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific amid China’s increasingly assertive military and economic influence in the region, Kyodo News reported.

“The summit comes as Sino-Japanese ties remain strained. Since January, China has tightened controls on Japan-bound shipments of dual-use items for civilian and military use, apparently including essential rare earths, after relations soured over remarks by Takaichi on Taiwan last November that angered Beijing,” the report highlighted.

Prime Minister Takaichi and PM Modi also agreed to deepen cooperation on economic security, with an emphasis on securing stable supplies of energy and critical minerals in response to developments in the Middle East and China.

During the 90-minute talks in New Delhi, the two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation on maritime security and reached a broad agreement on Japan’s export of Unicorn communication antennas to India. The antennas are currently fitted on the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Mogami-class destroyers, The Japan News reported.

“India is a trusted partner with whom we share a strategic vision.We will elevate our relationship to new heights,” Takaichi said at a joint press conference following the talks.

According to Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two leaders concurred to further cooperate in the security field based on the “Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation between Japan and India” revised last year. “They also stated that cooperation would be promoted, including deepening training in the Indian Ocean, promoting naval vessel maintenance cooperation, and also defense equipment and technology cooperation based on ‘Make in India,’ welcoming the progress on the transfer of the Unified Complex Radio Antenna ‘UNICORN.’

To deepen such cooperation, the two leaders instructed relevant departments to hold discussions and the next Japan-India “2+2” within this year,” the Ministry added.

Takaichi attended an informal dinner hosted by PM Modi on Thursday where both leaders held a wide-ranging discussion on bilateral ties, global development, and cultural links between India and Japan.

“The dinner was held in a warm and cordial atmosphere with conversations covering a wide range of topics on bilateral relationships, international situations, and the cultures of both countries, thereby deepening the personal relationship of trust,” read a statement issued by the Japanese Prime Minister’s office.