PM, Abe to discuss cooperation among Asian democracies

Asked about Abe’s proposal on the eve of his departure to Tokyo, Singh had told the Japanese media that he would like “to gain a better understanding about Prime Minister Abe’s idea of closer cooperation among major democracies in the region”.

While India has an open mind, there is a widespread misperception that Abe was seeking to exclude and isolate China. Abe has sought to dispel this view by making the restoration of normal relations with Beijing his highest diplomatic priority. Beijing was the first foreign destination for Abe after he took over as PM recently and has consciously sought to defuse Sino-Japanese tensions that marked the tenure of his predecessor, Junichrio Koizumi.

Sun Shihai, a leading expert on South Asian affairs told China Daily today that although “India and Japan are increasingly concerned about China’s growth in the region, you can’t simply say the two countries are trying to work together to contain China”.

India, meanwhile, has no reason to be defensive about its vibrant democratic system. That he represents an “open society and an open economy” has been one of the consistent themes in Singh’s articulation of “the idea of India” since became PM.

The notion of shared democratic values figured prominently in Singh’s address today in the Diet, the Japanese Parliament. “We are two major Asian countries who share the universally respected values of freedom, democracy, respect for fundamental human rights and commitment to the rule of law...We must draw on these common values ... And build a strong partnership of the highest mutual importance,” Singh said.

For Abe, the new emphasis on democratic values is part of a conscious effort to overcome the persistent negative legacy of Japanese imperialism and militarism in the region.

As Japan seeks to become a “democratic power”, India has every reason to draw closer to the new Tokyo. Unlike many Asian leaders who are suspicious of Tokyo’s plans to become a normal nation, Singh told the Diet today that Japan must play its “rightful and commensurate role in the emerging international order”.

... contd.