India, Japan agree to bolster defence ties

India and Japan have agreed to strengthen their security ties, including maritime cooperation, following a meeting between their respective defence ministers in New Delhi. The ministers, Rajnath Singh of India and Shinjiro Koizumi of Japan, signed a memorandum on maritime security cooperation, according to a joint statement. Both nations are members of the Quad security alliance, which also includes the United States and Australia, and is seen as a counterbalance to China's growing influence in the Indian Ocean and wider Asia-Pacific region.

The ministers emphasized their commitment to deepening defence cooperation to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific, stating that such collaboration is vital not only for Japan and India, but also for the region and the international community as a whole. India is increasingly interested in Tokyo's expertise and technology to bolster its domestic military hardware industry.

The ministers also discussed the potential for joint development in naval shipbuilding and design, aiming to combine Tokyo's technological capabilities with India's production capabilities under its "Make in India" initiative. This visit by Koizumi follows a similar meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in July, where they agreed to work more closely on critical minerals – a sector dominated by China.

Following the meeting, Takaichi cautioned that Japan and India face challenges such as "weaponisation of the economy and non-market policies and practices." The Quad, comprising Australia, India, Japan, and the United States, has been urged to address "connectivity choke points." China's foreign ministry criticized international cooperation that targets or harms third parties or serves as a pretext for exclusive cliques or confrontation, following PM Modi's meeting with Takaichi.