The rise of China and uncertainty over America’s role in Asia is necessitating an alliance between India and Japan.
It is important that India and Japan overcome the bureaucratic limitations and find ways of materialising an alliance.
What have created a need for this?
The emerging dynamism in the geo-politics of the Asian region is increasingly creating the need for India and Japan getting closer.
Rise of China - China's accelerated economic growth in the last few decades has brought it closer to the aggregate GDP of the United States.
This has dethroned Japan as the number one economic power in Asia.
The purposeful military modernisation over the last few decades has given Beijing the prospects to contest US military dominance over Asia.
Also, the imbalance between Beijing and its Asian neighbours has grown massively.
Uncertainty of US's role - The Trump era is exhibiting an unprecedented political turbulence in the United States.
Trump's stance is uncertain on the US acting as the market for Asian goods.
He is also uncertain of bearing the main burden of defending US's allies in the Asian region, including Japan.
These oscillations in US policy make Asian powers doubt the future role of US in the region and the sustainability of their reliance on US.
What lies ahead for India and Japan?
Given the above conditions, it is high time that India and Japan take the bilateral relationship to the next level.
Although India has been firm on the “non-alignment” principle, decisions now are ought to be less by tradition and more by the demands of current developments.
Despite the military exchanges over the last few years the two sides are far from a credible defence partnership.
India and Japan should overcome the bureaucratic limitations and take forward the talk on defence partnership.
This is more a prerequisite for any meaningful alliance-like partnership between the two countries .
