Tokyo: Japan has made aggressive changes to its defence policy, abandoning the defensive policy adopted after World War II. Following the dramatic increase in threats from China, Japan decided to increase its defence spending and export arms and defence equipment. As a result, Japan will supply lethal weapons to India and 11 other countries. It also includes fighter jets along with missiles. The change in Japanese policy following the visit of the Indian Prime Minister is noteworthy.
Prime Minister Modi had gone to Japan for a meeting of QUAD countries. Prime Minister Modi and his Japanese counterpart, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, had a critical bilateral discussion. Chinese fighter jets made dangerous trips close to the Japanese airspace during the QUAD meeting. It was rumoured that China had sent a ‘message’ to Japan and other QUAD members. Japan has since announced significant changes to its defence policy.
Japan has decided to supply arms and defence equipment to India and 11 other countries. This includes Southeast Asian countries and European countries, along with Australia. Moreover, the Japanese cooperation with India could also add to Chinese concerns. Earlier, in 2015, India and Japan signed an agreement to transfer defence technology. In 2021, the two countries reached an agreement on providing access to military bases and other assistance to each other’s defence forces. This agreement enables India and Japan to assist each other more effectively in war situations.
India and Japan had laid the foundation for this cooperation, given China’s hegemonic policy. Therefore, India could benefit from Japan’s changed defence policy. Although not as large an army and navy as China, Japan has state-of-the-art defence technology. China is also aware of this. China is grappled with fear that if a country like India gets this technology and Japanese help, it will significantly add to Indian might. Thus, China has been so cautious about India’s cooperation with Japan. Chinese state media are insisting that India-Japan cooperation is anti-China. Against this background, China may be reacting to the changes in the Japanese defence policy.
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