NEW DELHI ¨C India and Japan took their biggest steps yet to deepen strategic ties, and it¡¯s mostly thanks to China.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe reached a slew of agreements in New Delhi over the weekend that underscore how their personal chemistry is translating into ever-warmer economic, military and strategic ties. The steps are designed to ensure that the rise of China, the top trading partner for both nations, doesn¡¯t come at the expense of smaller economies in the region.
¡°Modi and Abe are telegraphing a striking message: We¡¯re taking this relationship to the next level, even at the risk of roiling China,¡± said Michael Kugelman, senior associate at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington. ¡°As close as these two countries are, they had held off to an extent in order not to overly alarm China.¡±
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