India, Japan boost defence ties in bid for ‘free, open Indo-Pacific’ to counter China: experts

India and Japan are advancing defence ties with technology transfer agreements and talks on military interoperability, a partnership analysts say is aimed at countering China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific while upholding a free and open regional order.

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Japanese counterpart Gen Nakatani discussed a proposed reciprocal supply and services agreement on the sidelines of the Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus in Vientiane, Laos, on Friday.

The pact, if finalised, would allow the militaries of the two countries to use each other’s bases for repair and resupply, enhancing defence cooperation. It would also build on a number of other security tie-ups between the two nations.

Dr Shubhamitra Das, associate professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University’s Centre for Indo-Pacific Studies, said the evolving Indo-Pacific framework, championed by countries like the United States and its allies, had provided a strong foundation for India and Japan to deepen their partnership.

The strategy, which spans the vast region from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, emphasises a free, open, and inclusive regional order to foster collaboration among nations to uphold international law and counterbalance China’s growing influence.

“India and Japan have been close since the 1952 peace treaty. Both Japan and India are institution builders, and their partnership is aimed at ensuring a free, open, prosperous, and inclusive Indo-Pacific,” Das told This Week in Asia.