The Changing Dynamics of Japan–India Cooperation: A Case of ‘Rule-Based Order’ in Indo-Pacific

Abstract

Japan and India are the two oldest and largest democracies in Asia. Since the inception of their diplomatic relations in 1952, the two countries have maintained a cordial relationship. They remain aloof during the Cold War period due to their ideological differences. After that, India following the economic liberalization followed by the “Look East” policy in the post-Cold War period had a positive impact on bilateral relations. This took a sudden gap due to India’s second Pokhran nuclear test in 1998 followed by Japanese economic sanctions. However, the relations normalized soon when Mori visited India along with other South Asian nations in 2000. The bilateral relations further improved when the two countries signed the “strategic orientation of Japan-India global partnership” during Koizumi’s visit in 2005. Since then, the two countries have been engaging in different aspects of strategic partnership, and a peaceful and stable Indo-Pacific along with the “rule-based order” has always been their priority. Thus, different scholars and statesmen from both countries started the discussion on building a new architecture of ‘rule-based order’ in the Indo-Pacific. To that end, Japan and India have continuously engaged themselves in bilateral and multilateral dialogue such as G4, Shangri-La Dialogue and Quad. Thus, this paper will try to see how far the two countries can persuade the international community to push the concept of “rule-based order” in the Indo-Pacific.