India news: Narendra Modi hosts Japan's Sanae Takaichi

Lead

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrived in New Delhi this week on her first official visit to India since taking office, holding summit talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that centered on economic security, strategic cooperation, and innovative technologies. The three-day visit also featured the inauguration of a Maruti Suzuki manufacturing facility in Haryana and the announcement of several landmark bilateral initiatives, drawing a measured response from China.

Coverage Comparison

Deutsche Welle reported Takaichi's arrival and ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, highlighting her focus on expanding bilateral cooperation through government and private sector participation, including the Japan-India Economic Forum, with over 150 members of Japan's business community expected to take part. The outlet also noted the inauguration of Maruti Suzuki India's manufacturing facility in Haryana as part of the visit.

The South China Morning Post framed the visit within broader geopolitical dynamics, with analysts suggesting the underlying aim was to reinforce a coalition of nations concerned about China's growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region. The report quoted Ben Ascione, an assistant professor at Tokyo's Waseda University, who noted that while Takaichi would want to "accelerate Japan's security transition and show that India is an important part of that," it remained to be seen "whether and to what extent India will share those same views."

The Hindu reported that Takaichi's planned visit to Guwahati was cancelled due to the "tight" schedule of her visit and other logistical issues, with interactions moved to Delhi. The report noted that the Guwahati leg was originally intended as the centrepiece of the tour, as Japan sought to highlight the importance of India's northeast in its plans for South and Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific initiative. The Hindu also noted that in 2019, the late Japanese PM Shinzo Abe was expected to visit Assam for a bilateral meeting with PM Modi, but the event was cancelled because of protests related to the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Key Claims

Takaichi's visit was her first to India as Prime Minister, as reported by Deutsche Welle. The annual summit included talks with Modi aimed at deepening the Japan-India Special Strategic and Global Partnership, with Modi posting on X that he looked forward to "exchanging views across a wide range of fields" to further the partnership.

The visit's economic dimension was underscored by the inauguration of Maruti Suzuki India's manufacturing facility in Haryana, a joint event with Modi, according to Deutsche Welle. The South China Morning Post provided data on Japan's investment footprint in India, noting cumulative foreign direct investment of over $48 billion this century, with Japan ranking second only to the US in FDI scale to India, behind Singapore and Mauritius which serve as channelling hubs. However, trade between India and Japan stood at a modest $27.5 billion in the 2025-26 financial year, compared to $151 billion with China, which remains India's top trading partner in goods.

Following the summit, India and Japan unveiled landmark initiatives including an economic partnership framework, a defence pact to co-develop military hardware, and steps to enhance energy ties, as reported by The Hindu. The joint statement also expressed "serious concern" at the situation in the East China Sea and South China Sea, opposing unilateral actions that endanger freedom of navigation and attempts to change the status quo by force.

China's reaction came through Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun, who told a media briefing in Beijing that "cooperation between countries should be conducive to enhancing the understanding and trust among regional countries and safeguarding peace and stability in the region." Guo added that such cooperation "should not target any third party or harm the interests of any third party, still less be used as an excuse to patch up exclusive small groupings and stoke division and confrontation."

Perspectives

China: Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun cautioned that bilateral cooperation between India and Japan should not target any third party or undermine another nation's interests, emphasizing the importance of regional stability and open cooperation.

Japan: Prime Minister Takaichi's office framed the visit as focused on expanding bilateral cooperation through government and private sector participation, with economic security, strategic cooperation, and innovative technologies high on the agenda. Her predecessor, Shigeru Ishiba, and Modi had outlined a Japan-India Joint Vision for the next decade, projecting up to 10 trillion yen ($62 billion) in investment from Japan.

India: Prime Minister Modi welcomed Takaichi and expressed interest in deepening the Japan-India Special Strategic and Global Partnership. Indian officials, as cited by The Hindu, emphasized the importance of the northeast in Japan's Indo-Pacific plans, with State Minister Horii Iwao describing the region as the zone of convergence between India's Act East Policy and Japan's Free and Open Indo-Pacific initiative.