Japan’s Counter Strike Pledge During India 2+2 & Debate Over Nuclear Weapons A Clear Signal To China

New Delhi: On ‘The Gist‘, Professor Tomohiko Taniguchi, Former Special Advisor to Japan’s Ex-Prime Minister Shinzō Abe’s Cabinet and the Former PM’s foreign policy speechwriter and Ambassador Deepa Gopalan Wadhwa, Former India Envoy To Japan in conversation with StratNews Global Associate Editor Amitabh P. Revi.

The panel discusses the Japan-India 2+2 meeting in Tokyo following the Quad Summit and the Prime Ministerial Summit this year, Former Prime Minister Shinzō Abe’s legacy on bilateral ties, how relations are not only being strengthened and elevated but are on an irreversible path, the common China threat and how the two countries are responding, the importance of the “pledge to develop Japan’s counter strike capabilities” that was specifically mentioned at the 2+2 meeting between the countries’ Foreign and Defence Ministers, the need for a debate on hosting nuclear weapons in Japan despite its history and experience and Abe’s role in that thought process, India sending an army component for Russia’s military drill, Vostok 2022, that also had China’s PLAN participating, but not sending ships for the maritime component near the Sea of Japan, Japan’s participation in the Malabar and Milan Naval exercises, operationalisation of the Reciprocal Provision of Supply and Services Agreement(ACSA) in March, India being able to use Japan’s Djibouti base and Tokyo being able to use the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the future, India’s Sukhoi fighter jets taking part in joint exercises and how Japan could gain from the experience, since China also has the aircraft in its Air Force, the need to cooperate more in the economic and technological domains, a review of the bilateral CEPA trade deal and the messaging of PM Modi travelling for Ex-PM Abe’s state funeral and possibly the Prime Ministerial Summit.