Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, seeking to perform a balancing act between two Asian giants, invited his visiting Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, to a scenic
YAMANAKAKO, YAMANASHI PREF. – Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, seeking to perform a balancing act between two Asian giants, invited his visiting Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, to a scenic resort near Mount Fuji for a luncheon Sunday, just a day after returning from talks with the leader of China — India’s strategic and economic rival.
Abe and Modi were to hold a formal summit Monday in Tokyo, during which fortifying bilateral security and economic cooperation is expected to be high on the agenda.
Behind their strengthened commitment is China’s rising political and economic clout.
New Delhi has been especially concerned about China’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative, a project that seeks to build ports and other infrastructure around the Indian Ocean linking Asia with other parts of the world, which some experts see as a way to strategically contain India. New Delhi is also worried about China’s naval expansion into regional waters in the Indian Ocean basin.
In addition, the two leaders are expected to confirm their cooperation on the Abe-conceived “Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy,” a concept aimed at developing high-quality infrastructure from Asia to Africa, while promoting principles including freedom of navigation and the rule of law.
The luncheon held ahead of Monday’s formal talks in Tokyo was seen as a token of Abe’s gratitude to Modi, who welcomed the Japanese prime minister to his home state during a visit last year.
After sitting down for lunch in a hotel at the foot of the famed mountain, Abe and Modi, who is on a three-day visit through Monday, went to a factory of industrial robot manufacturer Fanuc Corp.
