Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged a sweeping upgrade of economic and security ties with India, saying Japan would double investment and expand defense cooperation amid concerns about China’s expanding influence in the region.

Abe and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi at a summit meeting in Tokyo yesterday agreed to upgrade ties to a special strategic and global partnership. Abe offered 50 billion yen ($480 million) in infrastructure loans and pledged 3.5 trillion yen of public and private investment and financing in India in five years.

“I often say that Japan-India relations have more potential than any other ties in the world,” Abe said. “This time, hand in hand with Prime Minister Modi, I want to boost ties in every possible field and elevate this to a special strategic and global partnership.”

The declaration comes three months after Modi took office pledging to take a tougher stance with neighbors China and Pakistan on border disputes, and hours after Japan said three Chinese coast guard vessels entered waters near disputed islands. Japan is courting India as it seeks to counter China and deter the use of force in disputes over contested territory.

The two leaders are known to have a close relationship, and Abe made the unusual gesture of traveling to the ancient capital of Kyoto at the weekend to host an informal dinner for Modi. Abe also accepted an invitation to visit India for a summit in 2015. Modi, 63, also brought a delegation of executives with him on the four-day trip.

David Fuller's view

Closer economic links between India and Japan make sense and I expect to hear much more about this over the next few years.  India will benefit from Japan’s technology and Japan would gain from India’s abundant labour market and also its range of management skills.  

India remains a stock market in form, with gains of over 30% for the Nifty 50 Index this year, in USD terms, on optimism regarding Narendra Modi’s government, rising corporate profits and the fastest GDP growth in 2 years.