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Context:
- Asia’s three main powers, India, Japan and China are adapting to the possibility of a post-U.S. world order whereby U.S is largely growing protectionism within the brackets of ‘America First’.
Mutual engagements among India, Japan and China:
- India’s reset of ties with China needs to be viewed as part of a larger Asian reset with Beijing and Japan.
- China and Japan has begun a conversation on two potentially divisive themes: China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Japan’s Indo-Pacific strategy.
- It is likely that when Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang goes to Japan next month, there could be further discussion on:
- President Xi Jinping’s blueprint of industrialising Eurasia through the BRI, and
- Japan’s Indo-Pacific strategy covering an engagement with the Indian and the Pacific Oceans, and with Asia and Africa.
- The cycle of China-Japan re-engagement is likely to conclude with Mr. Xi’s visit to Japan, possibly for the Osaka G20 summit next year.
Way ahead:
- Even though China has economic capabilities, it is not in pole position to command a new Asian hierarchy.
- China would need solid partnerships with regional countries such as Japan, South Korea and India, as well as a free trade deal such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, to achieve further success.
- India is also well positioned to forge a new geo-economic relationship with China, which could be coordinated with Tokyo’s growing engagement with Beijing, to establish an extensively collaborative but multipolar Asia.
