India, Japan Signal to Beijing: Oppose Moves Impeding Navigation Freedom

New Delhi: India and Japan on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Arrangement on Maritime Security Cooperation and strongly opposed attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion.

The two countries agreed to expand information-sharing, conduct more complex joint exercises, work towards reciprocal ship-repair facilities and explore the joint development of naval ships and designs by combining Japanese technology with India’s production capabilities under Make in India.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh and his Japanese counterpart Shinjiro Koizumi held bilateral talks in New Delhi and reaffirmed their commitment to deepening defence cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

“They expressed their strong opposition to any unilateral actions that impede freedom and safety of navigation and overflight, as well as to any attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion,” a joint statement said.

Though China was not named, the remarks are being viewed in the context of concerns in India and Japan over Beijing’s military assertiveness in the region.

The MoA provides a framework for strengthening operational cooperation between the Indian Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. It covers maritime domain awareness, search and rescue, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

The ministers agreed to move swiftly towards maritime security cooperation that served the countries’ strategic and operational requirements.

They agreed to strengthen coordination for the protection of sea lines of communication through visits by naval vessels and units, joint exercises, personnel and subject-matter expert exchanges, and logistical support involving ports and maintenance and repair facilities.

They said such cooperation was important not only for India and Japan but also for the wider region and international community.

The ministers welcomed the strengthening of defence cooperation under the Japan-India Special Strategic and Global Partnership, which they described as a pillar of peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.

They also stressed the importance of exchanging assessments of regional and international security developments amid heightened global tensions.

The two sides agreed to deepen practical operational cooperation between the Indian Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.

They proposed greater cooperation in mine-countermeasure capabilities and agreed to explore joint naval shipbuilding and design by leveraging Japan’s technological expertise and India’s manufacturing capabilities.

The ministers also agreed to deepen discussions on Japan’s use of Indian production capabilities under Make in India and to work towards the reciprocal provision of ship-repair facilities, including the conclusion of an arrangement in the near future.

They welcomed the expansion of bilateral exercises, including the army exercise Dharma Guardian and the Japan-India Maritime Exercise, or JAIMEX.

They also noted the progress in preparations for the air force exercise Veer Guardian 26, scheduled for this year. Japan Air Self-Defence Force fighter aircraft will visit India and participate in the exercise for the first time.

The two countries agreed to increase the complexity of bilateral exercises, integrate unmanned systems and conduct exercises at short notice whenever opportunities arose.

They also agreed to promote exchanges between their special operations forces and pursue cooperation with India’s integrated theatre commands after their establishment.

Singh welcomed Japan’s recent review of its framework for transferring defence equipment and technology and expressed hope that Tokyo would contribute further to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

The ministers said the project involving the shipborne UNICORN integrated communications antenna system, the first defence equipment transfer project between India and Japan, symbolised their growing cooperation.

They affirmed their commitment to working towards the project’s early implementation.

The two sides also agreed to discuss other defence equipment and technology projects based on the operational requirements of their respective services.

They affirmed their commitment to deepening research and development cooperation between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation and Japan’s Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency in advanced defence technologies. They also agreed to convene a Defence Industry Forum.

The ministers agreed to promote cooperation through the Indo-Pacific Logistics Network to support partner countries during natural disasters by transporting personnel and supplies.

They also decided to establish a working group headed at the director-general or joint secretary level to coordinate cooperation across operational, intelligence, equipment, technology and industrial fields.

The working group will coordinate the initiatives agreed upon by the ministers and accelerate their implementation while respecting the policies and sovereign choices of both countries.