Japan and India moved to expand air-force ties before Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visits New Delhi this month, bolstering relations two months after China declared an air-defense identification zone in a disputed area.
Japans Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera and his Indian counterpart A.K. Antony discussed starting talks between air-force officials while reaffirming plans to conduct regular naval exercises, according to an Indian government statement today. Asias second- and third-largest economies may also conduct pilot exchanges, it said.
The ministers decided to strengthen India-Japan defense consultation and cooperation, including those related to maritime security, the government said. Indian naval vessels will visit Japan to conduct exercises this year, it said.
Japan and India, which both have territorial disputes with China, are increasing ties as tensions escalate in Northeast Asia. China and South Korea rejected Abes call for talks today after his visit to a war shrine last week drew an angry response from both countries.
Abes trip to India will be the first by a Japanese leader since 2011, when the countries agreed to boost security ties in the face of Chinas growing assertiveness. Last month, Japanese Emperor Akihito visited India for the first time in five decades, and the nations navies conducted bilateral training exercises for the second time in as many years.
The countries also increased financial ties, with India approving an increase in the bilateral currency swap arrangement between the Reserve Bank of India and the Bank of Japan to $50 billion from $15 billion.
China in November unnerved its neighbors by declaring an air defense identification zone in the East China Sea that overlaps with Japans zone and includes uninhabited islands claimed by both nations.
An April military standoff between China and India marked the most serious incident between the nuclear-armed neighbors in a quarter of a century on the Himalayan border where the worlds most-populous countries fought a brief war in 1962.
Japan Considers Greater India Air-Force Links Amid China Tension - Bloomberg
Japans Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera and his Indian counterpart A.K. Antony discussed starting talks between air-force officials while reaffirming plans to conduct regular naval exercises, according to an Indian government statement today. Asias second- and third-largest economies may also conduct pilot exchanges, it said.
The ministers decided to strengthen India-Japan defense consultation and cooperation, including those related to maritime security, the government said. Indian naval vessels will visit Japan to conduct exercises this year, it said.
Japan and India, which both have territorial disputes with China, are increasing ties as tensions escalate in Northeast Asia. China and South Korea rejected Abes call for talks today after his visit to a war shrine last week drew an angry response from both countries.
Abes trip to India will be the first by a Japanese leader since 2011, when the countries agreed to boost security ties in the face of Chinas growing assertiveness. Last month, Japanese Emperor Akihito visited India for the first time in five decades, and the nations navies conducted bilateral training exercises for the second time in as many years.
The countries also increased financial ties, with India approving an increase in the bilateral currency swap arrangement between the Reserve Bank of India and the Bank of Japan to $50 billion from $15 billion.
China in November unnerved its neighbors by declaring an air defense identification zone in the East China Sea that overlaps with Japans zone and includes uninhabited islands claimed by both nations.
An April military standoff between China and India marked the most serious incident between the nuclear-armed neighbors in a quarter of a century on the Himalayan border where the worlds most-populous countries fought a brief war in 1962.
Japan Considers Greater India Air-Force Links Amid China Tension - Bloomberg