As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh heads to Tokyo and Beijing this week, the contrast between India’s changing relations with Japan and China is bound to come under scrutiny. Quite early on in its tenure, the UPA government had announced plans to simultaneously deepen relations with both the Asian giants, during the quick visits in succession by the then Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in April 2005. Three and a half years later, India and Japan, in their painfully cumbersome way, are ready to expand their relationship. New Delhi and Beijing, in contrast, might have to try and overcome the recent downward slide in their bilateral ties.

The civilian nuclear agreement has had different effects in the two capitals. The popular anti-nuclear sentiment in Japan and Tokyo’s strong commitment to the non-proliferation regime meant inevitable opposition to American recognition of India’s nuclear exceptionalism; Beijing saw the Indo-US nuclear deal entirely in terms of two balances of power, one involving the United States, China and India, and the other China, India and Pakistan. After intensive diplomatic engagement over three years, New Delhi believed it had promises from China and Japan that they would not come in the way of implementing the Indo-US nuclear deal. Last month’s dramatic Nuclear Suppliers Group meeting made it obvious that Japan kept its word while China did not. As a consequence, Dr Singh’s engagement with the Japanese and Chinese leaders this week will be in very different tones. In Tokyo, Dr Singh’s emphasis will be on advancing a strategic partnership. In Beijing, he will hope to limit the damage to the bilateral relationship.

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