Sri Lanka's deposed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the United States and Japan had frozen more than a billion dollars of development aid after his abrupt dismissal raised doubts about the future of democracy in the island.

The move to hold back project financing, along with the EU's warning it could withdraw duty-free concessions for Sri Lankan exports if it didn't stick to commitments on national reconciliation, will further strain the economy, Wickremesinghe told Reuters in an interview.

President Maithripala Sirisena fired him last month after months of tensions within the government and appointed Mahinda Rajapaksa as premier in a shock move that has plunged the nation into a political crisis.

Rajapaksa is a former president who led the country to a military defeat of Tamil separatist guerrillas in 2009 but who has since faced widespread allegations of human rights abuse and targeting of Tamil civilians.

Wickremesinghe, who has challenged his dismissal and vowed to remain, prime minister, until parliament voted him out, said there were international concerns about a government led by Rajapaksa.

"Countries are sensitive, they have concerns (about a government led by Rajapaksa) democratic countries have concerns," he said in the interview conducted in the prime minister's official residence in a colonial-era bungalow where Wickremesinghe is camping along with his supporters.

The United States has held off on a nearly $500 million aid programme for building of highways and improving land administration by the government-funded Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), Wickremesinghe said.

Japan had also put on hold plans to extend a soft loan of $1.4 billion for a light railway project, he said. "A lot of projects are held up, the Millennium Challenge, the Japanese loan," he said.

The Sri Lankan embassy in Washington has been informally told by the MCC that around $480 million will be on hold because of the latest situation in the country, a Sri Lankan foreign ministry official separately confirmed to Reuters.

An official at the Sri Lankan ministry of Megapolis and Western Development also confirmed the freeze to Reuters on the Japanese loan, imperilling the project.

An official at the Japan International Cooperation Agency said the agency was closely monitoring political developments and the railway project loan had been withheld.

The US&nbsp;embassy in Colombo had no immediate comment when asked if Washington is taking any measures due to the Sri Lankan political crisis.

The United States and the EU have urged the president to immediately summon parliament and let deputies decide who is to lead the country. Sirisena suspended parliament until Nov. 16 and has made no public statement on his plans.

While Wickremesinghe is staying on in the premier's residence called Temple Trees, Rajapaksa has taken over the offices of the prime minister following his swearing-in.

Wickremesinghe said his party will step up a public campaign for parliament to be called and he be allowed to prove his majority. "We are all contemplating alternative actions, this includes a big mobilisation of people. Ultimately this has to be decided in parliament."

Soon after taking over Rajapaksa said he wanted to end the "politics of hate" in the country and that his government will work for justice for all citizens.

Sri Lanka's deposed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the United States and Japan had frozen more than a billion dollars of development aid after his abrupt dismissal raised doubts about the future of democracy in the island.

Sri Lanka's deposed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the United States and Japan had frozen more than a billion dollars of development aid after his abrupt dismissal raised doubts about the future of democracy in the island. The move to hold back project financing, along with the EU's warning it could withdraw duty-free concessions for Sri Lankan exports if it didn't stick to commitments on national reconciliation, will further strain the economy, Wickremesinghe told Reuters in an interview. President Maithripala Sirisena fired him last month after months of tensions within the government and appointed Mahinda Rajapaksa as premier in a shock move that has plunged the nation into a political crisis. Rajapaksa is a former president who led the country to a military defeat of Tamil separatist guerrillas in 2009 but who has since faced widespread allegations of human rights abuse and targeting of Tamil civilians. Wickremesinghe, who has challenged his dismissal and vowed to remain, prime minister, until parliament voted him out, said there were international concerns about a government led by Rajapaksa. "Countries are sensitive, they have concerns (about a government led by Rajapaksa) democratic countries have concerns," he said in the interview conducted in the prime minister's official residence in a colonial-era bungalow where Wickremesinghe is camping along with his supporters. The United States has held off on a nearly $500 million aid programme for building of highways and improving land administration by the government-funded Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), Wickremesinghe said. Japan had also put on hold plans to extend a soft loan of $1.4 billion for a light railway project, he said. "A lot of projects are held up, the Millennium Challenge, the Japanese loan," he said. The Sri Lankan embassy in Washington has been informally told by the MCC that around $480 million will be on hold because of the latest situation in the country, a Sri Lankan foreign ministry official separately confirmed to Reuters. An official at the Sri Lankan ministry of Megapolis and Western Development also confirmed the freeze to Reuters on the Japanese loan, imperilling the project. An official at the Japan International Cooperation Agency said the agency was closely monitoring political developments and the railway project loan had been withheld. The US embassy in Colombo had no immediate comment when asked if Washington is taking any measures due to the Sri Lankan political crisis. The United States and the EU have urged the president to immediately summon parliament and let deputies decide who is to lead the country. Sirisena suspended parliament until Nov. 16 and has made no public statement on his plans. While Wickremesinghe is staying on in the premier's residence called Temple Trees, Rajapaksa has taken over the offices of the prime minister following his swearing-in. Wickremesinghe said his party will step up a public campaign for parliament to be called and he be allowed to prove his majority. "We are all contemplating alternative actions, this includes a big mobilisation of people. Ultimately this has to be decided in parliament." Soon after taking over Rajapaksa said he wanted to end the "politics of hate" in the country and that his government will work for justice for all citizens.

Sri Lanka's ousted PM Wickremesinghe says US, Japan freeze aid over political crisis

US fighter jets darted over the Western Pacific on Saturday as the nuclear powered USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier joined Japanese destroyers and a Canadian warship for the biggest combat readiness war game ever staged in and around Japan.

Japan and the United States have mobilized 57,000 sailors, marines and airmen for the biennial Keen Sword exercise, 11,000 more than in 2016, with simulated air combat, amphibious landings and ballistic missile defence drills. Japan's contingent of 47,000 personnel represents a fifth of the nation's armed forces.

"We are here to stabilize, and preserve our capability should it be needed. Exercises like Keen Sword are exactly the kind of thing we need to do," Rear Admiral Karl Thomas, the commander of the carrier strike group, said during a press briefing in Reagan's focsle as F-18 fighter jets catapulted off the flight deck above him.

Eight other ships joined the carrier for anti-submarine warfare drills in a show of force in waters that Washington and Tokyo fear will increasingly come under Beijing's influence.

"The US-Japan alliance is essential for stability in this region and the wider Indo Pacific," Rear Admiral Hiroshi Egawa, the commander of the Japanese ships said aboard the Reagan

Based in Yokosuka near Tokyo, it is the biggest US warship in Asia, with a crew of 5,000 sailors and around 90 F-18 Super Hornets fighters.

CANADA JOINS

A Canadian naval supply ship is also taking part in Keen Sword along with the frigate that sailed with the Reagan on Saturday.

Canadian participation is taking a bilateral drill which began in 1986 "into the realm of multilateral exercises," Canada's defence attache in Japan, Captain Hugues Canuel said in Tokyo. Participation in Keen Sword, he added, reflects Canada's desire to have a military presence in Asia.

Canada isn't the only western nation looking to take a bigger security role in the region. Britain and France are also sending more ships as China's military presence in the South China Sea grows and its influence over the Indo Pacific and its key trade routes expand.

British, French, Australian and South Korean observers will also monitor Keen Sword, which began Monday and ends on Thursday.

BOLDER JAPAN

Growing foreign interest in Asian security, including North Korea's development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, coincides with greater Japanese willingness to back up its regional diplomacy with a show of military muscle.

Tokyo this year sent its biggest warship, the Kaga helicopter carrier, on a two-month tour of the Indo Pacific, including flag-waving stops in the Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Singapore.

The 248 meters (813.65 ft) long Maritime Self Defence Force ship and its two destroyer escorts also conducted drills with a Japanese submarine in the contested South China Sea.

At the same time, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has engaged China in dialogue to reduce tension between their militaries in the East China Sea and to increase economic cooperation between Asia's two leading economies.

Amid a background of trade friction with Washington, Abe last month travelled to Beijing, the first such trip by a Japanese leader in seven years, for talks with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang. Abe told them that China and Japan shared responsibility for regional security, including tackling North Korean.

Japan, however, still views China as a potentially much larger and more challenging foe than Pyongyang as its expanding navy consolidates control of the South China Sea and ventures deeper into the Western Pacific and the Indian Ocean.

Beijing this year plans to spend 1.11 trillion yuan ($160 billion) on its armed forces, more than three times as much as Japan and about a third of what the US pays for a military that helps defend the Japanese islands.

Keen Sword "remains an expression of the commitment of like-minded allies and partners. To really see what we can do in terms of demonstrating advanced capabilities together to ensure peace and stability in the Indo Pacific," Chief of US Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson said on Thursday in Australia during a telephone press briefing.

US fighter jets darted over the Western Pacific on Saturday as the nuclear powered USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier joined Japanese destroyers and a Canadian warship for the biggest combat readiness war game ever staged in and around Japan.

US fighter jets darted over the Western Pacific on Saturday as the nuclear powered USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier joined Japanese destroyers and a Canadian warship for the biggest combat readiness war game ever staged in and around Japan. Japan and the United States have mobilized 57,000 sailors, marines and airmen for the biennial Keen Sword exercise, 11,000 more than in 2016, with simulated air combat, amphibious landings and ballistic missile defence drills. Japan's contingent of 47,000 personnel represents a fifth of the nation's armed forces. "We are here to stabilize, and preserve our capability should it be needed. Exercises like Keen Sword are exactly the kind of thing we need to do," Rear Admiral Karl Thomas, the commander of the carrier strike group, said during a press briefing in Reagan's focsle as F-18 fighter jets catapulted off the flight deck above him. Eight other ships joined the carrier for anti-submarine warfare drills in a show of force in waters that Washington and Tokyo fear will increasingly come under Beijing's influence. "The US-Japan alliance is essential for stability in this region and the wider Indo Pacific," Rear Admiral Hiroshi Egawa, the commander of the Japanese ships said aboard the Reagan Based in Yokosuka near Tokyo, it is the biggest US warship in Asia, with a crew of 5,000 sailors and around 90 F-18 Super Hornets fighters. CANADA JOINS A Canadian naval supply ship is also taking part in Keen Sword along with the frigate that sailed with the Reagan on Saturday. Canadian participation is taking a bilateral drill which began in 1986 "into the realm of multilateral exercises," Canada's defence attache in Japan, Captain Hugues Canuel said in Tokyo. Participation in Keen Sword, he added, reflects Canada's desire to have a military presence in Asia. Canada isn't the only western nation looking to take a bigger security role in the region. Britain and France are also sending more ships as China's military presence in the South China Sea grows and its influence over the Indo Pacific and its key trade routes expand. British, French, Australian and South Korean observers will also monitor Keen Sword, which began Monday and ends on Thursday. BOLDER JAPAN Growing foreign interest in Asian security, including North Korea's development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, coincides with greater Japanese willingness to back up its regional diplomacy with a show of military muscle. Tokyo this year sent its biggest warship, the Kaga helicopter carrier, on a two-month tour of the Indo Pacific, including flag-waving stops in the Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Singapore. The 248 meters (813.65 ft) long Maritime Self Defence Force ship and its two destroyer escorts also conducted drills with a Japanese submarine in the contested South China Sea. At the same time, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has engaged China in dialogue to reduce tension between their militaries in the East China Sea and to increase economic cooperation between Asia's two leading economies. Amid a background of trade friction with Washington, Abe last month travelled to Beijing, the first such trip by a Japanese leader in seven years, for talks with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang. Abe told them that China and Japan shared responsibility for regional security, including tackling North Korean. Japan, however, still views China as a potentially much larger and more challenging foe than Pyongyang as its expanding navy consolidates control of the South China Sea and ventures deeper into the Western Pacific and the Indian Ocean. Beijing this year plans to spend 1.11 trillion yuan ($160 billion) on its armed forces, more than three times as much as Japan and about a third of what the US pays for a military that helps defend the Japanese islands. Keen Sword "remains an expression of the commitment of like-minded allies and partners. To really see what we can do in terms of demonstrating advanced capabilities together to ensure peace and stability in the Indo Pacific," Chief of US Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson said on Thursday in Australia during a telephone press briefing.

US carrier leads warships in biggest ever Japan defence war game

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's cabinet approved draft legislation on Friday to open the door to more overseas blue-collar workers in sectors grappling with labour shortages, a controversial policy shift in immigration-shy Japan.

Japan's immigration debate is heating up even as US&nbsp;President Donald Trump puts the topic front and centre for next week's Congressional mid-term elections.

Immigration has long been taboo as many Japanese prize ethnic homogeneity, but the reality of an ageing, shrinking population is challenging such views.

Despite misgivings in Abe's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), parliament is likely to adopt the revisions in the face of intense pressure from businesses battling the tightest labour market in decades, although opposition parties could delay.

The revised law would create two new visa categories for foreigners in sectors with labour shortages. While not spelt out, they are expected to be more than a dozen, from farming and construction to hotels and nursing care.

Justice Minister Takashi Yamashita on Thursday ruled out a numerical cap, but media said 500,000 blue-collar workers could be allowed in overtime, up 40 per cent from the 1.28 million foreign workers now forming about 2 per cent of the workforce.

Workers in the first visa category must have a certain level of skills and Japanese language ability. They would not be allowed to bring family members for a stay of up to five years.

But those with higher skills, in the second category, could bring family and eventually get residency.

Japan has grown more accepting of foreign labour but the focus has been on professionals and the highly skilled.

For blue-collar workers, employers mostly rely on a "technical trainees" system and foreign students working part-time, loopholes critics say are abused.

"Today it is quite difficult for foreigners to get ... jobs as security guards," said Shigeki Yawata, security manager at security firm Executive Protection Inc, which has employed non-Japanese for more than a dozen years. "The Olympic Games are coming up and the government is working on inbound tourism, so we would like to have more foreigners, too."

LDP lawmakers signed off on the bill after heated party debate. Many expressed concerns about crime and a negative effect on wages. Opposition politicians accuse the government of undue haste without protecting foreign workers' rights.

"The LDP decision was ... pushed by businesses with a serious shortage of workers," said Toshihiro Menju, managing director of the Japan Center for International Exchange, a think tank.

Abe has said the changes do not constitute an "immigration policy", out of an apparent desire not to upset his conservative backers. Many experts differ.

"I think this is a de facto shift to an immigration policy," Hidenori Sakanaka, a former head of the Tokyo Immigration Bureau, told Reuters.

The tiny nationalist "Japan First Party" has protested against the changes for reasons such as fears foreigners would inflate welfare rolls and crime rates, it says on its website.

A recent survey by the Yomiuri newspaper, however, showed 51 per cent of Japanese voters favoured letting in more unskilled foreign workers and about 43 per cent backed recognising "immigration" - about the same percentage as those opposed.

"I think it’s a good thing as long as there is a support system for the foreigners," said retiree Yoshio Sai. "I wish they could make more work opportunities for us old people too."

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's cabinet approved draft legislation on Friday to open the door to more overseas blue-collar workers in sectors grappling with labour shortages, a controversial policy shift in immigration-shy Japan.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's cabinet approved draft legislation on Friday to open the door to more overseas blue-collar workers in sectors grappling with labour shortages, a controversial policy shift in immigration-shy Japan. Japan's immigration debate is heating up even as US President Donald Trump puts the topic front and centre for next week's Congressional mid-term elections. Immigration has long been taboo as many Japanese prize ethnic homogeneity, but the reality of an ageing, shrinking population is challenging such views. Despite misgivings in Abe's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), parliament is likely to adopt the revisions in the face of intense pressure from businesses battling the tightest labour market in decades, although opposition parties could delay. The revised law would create two new visa categories for foreigners in sectors with labour shortages. While not spelt out, they are expected to be more than a dozen, from farming and construction to hotels and nursing care. Justice Minister Takashi Yamashita on Thursday ruled out a numerical cap, but media said 500,000 blue-collar workers could be allowed in overtime, up 40 per cent from the 1.28 million foreign workers now forming about 2 per cent of the workforce. Workers in the first visa category must have a certain level of skills and Japanese language ability. They would not be allowed to bring family members for a stay of up to five years. But those with higher skills, in the second category, could bring family and eventually get residency. Japan has grown more accepting of foreign labour but the focus has been on professionals and the highly skilled. For blue-collar workers, employers mostly rely on a "technical trainees" system and foreign students working part-time, loopholes critics say are abused. "Today it is quite difficult for foreigners to get ... jobs as security guards," said Shigeki Yawata, security manager at security firm Executive Protection Inc, which has employed non-Japanese for more than a dozen years. "The Olympic Games are coming up and the government is working on inbound tourism, so we would like to have more foreigners, too." LDP lawmakers signed off on the bill after heated party debate. Many expressed concerns about crime and a negative effect on wages. Opposition politicians accuse the government of undue haste without protecting foreign workers' rights. "The LDP decision was ... pushed by businesses with a serious shortage of workers," said Toshihiro Menju, managing director of the Japan Center for International Exchange, a think tank. Abe has said the changes do not constitute an "immigration policy", out of an apparent desire not to upset his conservative backers. Many experts differ. "I think this is a de facto shift to an immigration policy," Hidenori Sakanaka, a former head of the Tokyo Immigration Bureau, told Reuters. The tiny nationalist "Japan First Party" has protested against the changes for reasons such as fears foreigners would inflate welfare rolls and crime rates, it says on its website. A recent survey by the Yomiuri newspaper, however, showed 51 per cent of Japanese voters favoured letting in more unskilled foreign workers and about 43 per cent backed recognising "immigration" - about the same percentage as those opposed. "I think it’s a good thing as long as there is a support system for the foreigners," said retiree Yoshio Sai. "I wish they could make more work opportunities for us old people too."

Japan aims to open door for foreign blue-collar workers

Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso said on Tuesday that a currency swap agreement it signed with India was intended to function as a safety net in case of a financial crisis.

Japan&nbsp;and India signed a US $75 billion bilateral currency swap agreement on Monday during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Tokyo.

The agreement will further strengthen and widen the depth and diversity of economic cooperation between the two countries.

Speaking to reporters, Aso also said the US $30 billion currency swap deal&nbsp;Japan&nbsp;signed with China last week would support&nbsp;Japanese companies and banks operating in China if they had trouble exchanging yen for yuan.

“India and Japan agreed to enter into a bilateral swap arrangement of $75 billion. This swap arrangement would be 50% higher than our last swap agreement,” finance minister Arun Jaitley tweeted.&nbsp;

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India and Japan agreed to enter into a bilateral swap arrangement of 75 billion dollars. This Swap arrangement would be 50% higher than our last Swap agreement. This bilateral swap reflects depth of our deeper economic relationship.
— Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) <a href="https://twitter.com/arunjaitley/status/1056861791198867456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is visiting Japan, and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe held delegation-level talks during which the two leaders discussed a range of bilateral, regional and global issues including the situation in the Indo-Pacific region.

Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso said on Tuesday that a currency swap agreement it signed with India was intended to function as a safety net in case of a financial crisis.

Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso said on Tuesday that a currency swap agreement it signed with India was intended to function as a safety net in case of a financial crisis. Japan and India signed a US $75 billion bilateral currency swap agreement on Monday during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Tokyo. The agreement will further strengthen and widen the depth and diversity of economic cooperation between the two countries. Speaking to reporters, Aso also said the US $30 billion currency swap deal Japan signed with China last week would support Japanese companies and banks operating in China if they had trouble exchanging yen for yuan. “India and Japan agreed to enter into a bilateral swap arrangement of $75 billion. This swap arrangement would be 50% higher than our last swap agreement,” finance minister Arun Jaitley tweeted. India and Japan agreed to enter into a bilateral swap arrangement of 75 billion dollars. This Swap arrangement would be 50% higher than our last Swap agreement. This bilateral swap reflects depth of our deeper economic relationship. — Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) October 29, 2018 × Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is visiting Japan, and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe held delegation-level talks during which the two leaders discussed a range of bilateral, regional and global issues including the situation in the Indo-Pacific region.

India, Japan sign $75 billion currency swap agreement

Addressing the Make in India event in Tokyo, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-going-through-massive-transformative-phase-today-modi-in-japan-174086">Prime Minister Modi</a> on Monday highlighted the ease of doing business in&nbsp;India and also invited the Japanese to invest in the country.

Prime Minister Modi said in order to promote the "ease of doing business"&nbsp;in the country, the Indian government has started ranking its 36 states and Union territories. The ranking&nbsp;has resulted in a healthy competition between the states and the UTs and has already started giving better results".

PM Modi said, "Some years ago, I spoke about making a mini-Japan in India. It's a matter of great happiness for me that today, you are working in an even larger number in India".

He further said, "When I took over the responsibility of the government in 2014, India was at 140th position in the 'ease of doing business' ranking of the World Bank. Now India has reached 100th position and we are working towards better ranking".

Highlighting the benefits of doing business in India, PM Modi said that low-cost manufacturing and competitive labour cost would further enhance the ease of doing business in the country. Inviting the Japanese businessmen to invest in India, he said Indian software and Japanese hardware&nbsp;will&nbsp;give great results together.

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भारत में व्यापार करने का एक फायदा Low cost manufacturing भी है। उसके पीछे भारत में Competitive Labour Cost एक बहुत बड़ी ताकत है। 
 
उसी तरह से हमारी IT industry एक बहुत बड़ी शक्ति है। मैंने पहले भी यहां आकर कहा है, हमारा Software और आपका Hardware मिल जाए, तो कमाल हो सकता है: PM
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/PMOIndia/status/1056777368876941312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Referring to the new technological inventions like the AI, IoT, 3D Printing, Robotics in India, PM Modi said that the country was moving towards Industry 4.0. He said India&nbsp;and Japan's collaboration was going to yield better results for the two countries in the field of Electric Mobility.

The Prime Minister finally concluded by inviting Japanese businessmen to invest in the country and said he has always talked about Strong India-Strong Japan.

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मैं हमेशा ही Strong India – Strong Japan की बात करता रहा हूं। 
 
मैं आज इस अवसर पर जापान के उद्यमी वर्ग का भारत पर विशेष विश्वास करने के लिए आभार व्यक्त करता हूं। 
 
मैं आप सभी को भारत में निवेश की गति बढ़ाने के लिए भी आमंत्रित करना चाहूंगा: PM
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/PMOIndia/status/1056778645585285120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The "Make in India: India-Japan Partnership in Africa and Digital Partnership"&nbsp;seminar held in Tokyo was also attended by&nbsp;National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval.

Addressing the Make in India event in Tokyo, Prime Minister Modi on Monday highlighted the ease of doing business in India and also invited the Japanese to invest in the country.

Addressing the Make in India event in Tokyo, Prime Minister Modi on Monday highlighted the ease of doing business in India and also invited the Japanese to invest in the country. Prime Minister Modi said in order to promote the "ease of doing business" in the country, the Indian government has started ranking its 36 states and Union territories. The ranking has resulted in a healthy competition between the states and the UTs and has already started giving better results". PM Modi said, "Some years ago, I spoke about making a mini-Japan in India. It's a matter of great happiness for me that today, you are working in an even larger number in India". He further said, "When I took over the responsibility of the government in 2014, India was at 140th position in the 'ease of doing business' ranking of the World Bank. Now India has reached 100th position and we are working towards better ranking". Highlighting the benefits of doing business in India, PM Modi said that low-cost manufacturing and competitive labour cost would further enhance the ease of doing business in the country. Inviting the Japanese businessmen to invest in India, he said Indian software and Japanese hardware will give great results together. भारत में व्यापार करने का एक फायदा Low cost manufacturing भी है। उसके पीछे भारत में Competitive Labour Cost एक बहुत बड़ी ताकत है। उसी तरह से हमारी IT industry एक बहुत बड़ी शक्ति है। मैंने पहले भी यहां आकर कहा है, हमारा Software और आपका Hardware मिल जाए, तो कमाल हो सकता है: PM — PMO India (@PMOIndia) October 29, 2018 × Referring to the new technological inventions like the AI, IoT, 3D Printing, Robotics in India, PM Modi said that the country was moving towards Industry 4.0. He said India and Japan's collaboration was going to yield better results for the two countries in the field of Electric Mobility. The Prime Minister finally concluded by inviting Japanese businessmen to invest in the country and said he has always talked about Strong India-Strong Japan. मैं हमेशा ही Strong India – Strong Japan की बात करता रहा हूं। मैं आज इस अवसर पर जापान के उद्यमी वर्ग का भारत पर विशेष विश्वास करने के लिए आभार व्यक्त करता हूं। मैं आप सभी को भारत में निवेश की गति बढ़ाने के लिए भी आमंत्रित करना चाहूंगा: PM — PMO India (@PMOIndia) October 29, 2018 × The "Make in India: India-Japan Partnership in Africa and Digital Partnership" seminar held in Tokyo was also attended by National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval.

PM Modi urges Japan to invest in India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the Indian community in Tokyo, Japan on Monday. Modi is <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-to-meet-japanese-counterpart-shinzo-abe-to-discuss-regional-global-issues-173927">in Japan on a two-day visit</a> to attend the India-Japan summit.&nbsp;

In his talk to the Indian community, Modi said "India is going through a massive transformative phase today".&nbsp;

He added that the "world is appreciating India for its efforts towards services towards humanity".&nbsp;

Modi said India is making "tremendous progress" on its digital infrastructure and that 1 GB of data today is cheaper than a small bottle of cold drink.&nbsp;

"Broadband connectivity is reaching villages, over 100 crore mobile phones are active in India, 1 GB is cheaper than a small bottle of cold drink," Modi said, adding that "this data is becoming the tool for service delivery".&nbsp;

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Japan: Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Hiroshige Seko, Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, in Tokyo <a href="https://t.co/IsfszQTIAS">pic.twitter.com/IsfszQTIAS</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1056730165408157701?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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India is going through a massive transformative phase today. The world is appreciating India for its efforts towards services towards humanity. The policies being made in India, the work being done towards public welfare, for these the nation is being felicitated today: PM Modi <a href="https://t.co/DJx1umWYYN">pic.twitter.com/DJx1umWYYN</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1056713285737893894?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Make in India emerged as global brand today.We're manufacturing quality products not only for India but for world.India is becoming a global hub, especially in field of electronics&amp;automobile manufacturing.We're rapidly moving towards being no.1 in mobile phones manufacturing: PM <a href="https://t.co/sGXXC6ocGU">pic.twitter.com/sGXXC6ocGU</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1056716459123052546?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Japanese venture capitalists met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Tokyo, Japan today. <a href="https://t.co/rc0fBzOIc3">pic.twitter.com/rc0fBzOIc3</a>
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Modi added that India is making quality products not only for India but also the world. And that India is "rapidly moving towards being no. 1 in mobile phones manufacturing".&nbsp;

"Make in India emerged as global brand today.We're manufacturing quality products not only for India but for world.India is becoming a global hub, especially in field of electronics and automobile manufacturing. We're rapidly moving towards being no. 1 in mobile phones manufacturing."

And he repeated his August 15 promise to send an <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/from-space-mission-to-women-empowerment-excerpts-from-pm-narendra-modis-fifth-independence-day-speech-159254?amp">Indian into space by 2022</a>.&nbsp;

"Last year our scientists created record by launching over 100 satellites into space simultaneously. We sent Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan at very low expense. India is preparing to send Gaganyaan into space by 2022. &nbsp;It'll be Indian in all ways and one travelling in it will also be an Indian."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the Indian community in Tokyo, Japan on Monday. Modi is in Japan on a two-day visit to attend the India-Japan summit. In his talk to the Indian community, Modi said "India is going through a massive transformative phase today".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the Indian community in Tokyo, Japan on Monday. Modi is in Japan on a two-day visit to attend the India-Japan summit. In his talk to the Indian community, Modi said "India is going through a massive transformative phase today". He added that the "world is appreciating India for its efforts towards services towards humanity". Modi said India is making "tremendous progress" on its digital infrastructure and that 1 GB of data today is cheaper than a small bottle of cold drink. "Broadband connectivity is reaching villages, over 100 crore mobile phones are active in India, 1 GB is cheaper than a small bottle of cold drink," Modi said, adding that "this data is becoming the tool for service delivery". Japan: Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Hiroshige Seko, Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, in Tokyo pic.twitter.com/IsfszQTIAS — ANI (@ANI) October 29, 2018 × India is going through a massive transformative phase today. The world is appreciating India for its efforts towards services towards humanity. The policies being made in India, the work being done towards public welfare, for these the nation is being felicitated today: PM Modi pic.twitter.com/DJx1umWYYN — ANI (@ANI) October 29, 2018 × Make in India emerged as global brand today.We're manufacturing quality products not only for India but for world.India is becoming a global hub, especially in field of electronics&automobile manufacturing.We're rapidly moving towards being no.1 in mobile phones manufacturing: PM pic.twitter.com/sGXXC6ocGU — ANI (@ANI) October 29, 2018 × Japanese venture capitalists met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Tokyo, Japan today. pic.twitter.com/rc0fBzOIc3 — ANI (@ANI) October 29, 2018 × Modi added that India is making quality products not only for India but also the world. And that India is "rapidly moving towards being no. 1 in mobile phones manufacturing". "Make in India emerged as global brand today.We're manufacturing quality products not only for India but for world.India is becoming a global hub, especially in field of electronics and automobile manufacturing. We're rapidly moving towards being no. 1 in mobile phones manufacturing." And he repeated his August 15 promise to send an Indian into space by 2022. "Last year our scientists created record by launching over 100 satellites into space simultaneously. We sent Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan at very low expense. India is preparing to send Gaganyaan into space by 2022. It'll be Indian in all ways and one travelling in it will also be an Indian."

India going through massive transformative phase today: Modi in Japan

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India-Japan Summit: Welcome ceremony of Narendra Modi at Shinzo Abe's office

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13th India-Japan annual summit: Know what benefits can this summit bring to both countries

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe visited the FANUC Industrial facility in Yamanashi during the Prime Minister`s official two-day visit to the Asian nation.

In a visit held after lunch on Sunday, Prime Minister Modi was briefed on the various robotic and automation capabilities of the Japanese company.&nbsp;

Both the leaders also witnessed the assembling of a motor by a robot in 40 seconds at the facility, along with viewing several illustrations of the working of industrial robots.

The leaders then headed towards Prime Minister Abe`s private villa in the prefecture, where he hosted his Indian counterpart. Post this, the two leaders left for Tokyo by train.

The prime ministers had earlier dined together at a hotel in Yamanashi with Mount Fuji in the backdrop.

Prime Minister Modi had arrived in Japan for a two-day visit on October 27.&nbsp;

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Japan: Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves for Tokyo by Express Train Kaiji with Japanese PM Shinzo Abe from Yamanashi. <a href="https://t.co/c8ToOYxAXD">pic.twitter.com/c8ToOYxAXD</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1056506582069075969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The leaders are scheduled to hold the 13th India-Japan Annual Summit, during which wide-ranging talks on strengthening collaboration in key areas such as Defence, security, Indo-Pacific cooperation, and technology are slated to be held.

Furthermore, Prime Minister Modi will address members of the Indian community on October 29 before commencing his official engagements.&nbsp;

He will also meet several Japanese business leaders and address the India-Japan business forum.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves for Tokyo by Express Train Kaiji with Japanese PM Shinzo Abe from Yamanashi. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Japan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Japan</a> <a href="https://t.co/tLqcs0464n">pic.twitter.com/tLqcs0464n</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1056508406129983488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe visited the FANUC Industrial facility in Yamanashi during the Prime Minister`s official two-day visit to the Asian nation.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe visited the FANUC Industrial facility in Yamanashi during the Prime Minister`s official two-day visit to the Asian nation. In a visit held after lunch on Sunday, Prime Minister Modi was briefed on the various robotic and automation capabilities of the Japanese company. Both the leaders also witnessed the assembling of a motor by a robot in 40 seconds at the facility, along with viewing several illustrations of the working of industrial robots. The leaders then headed towards Prime Minister Abe`s private villa in the prefecture, where he hosted his Indian counterpart. Post this, the two leaders left for Tokyo by train. The prime ministers had earlier dined together at a hotel in Yamanashi with Mount Fuji in the backdrop. Prime Minister Modi had arrived in Japan for a two-day visit on October 27. Japan: Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves for Tokyo by Express Train Kaiji with Japanese PM Shinzo Abe from Yamanashi. pic.twitter.com/c8ToOYxAXD — ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2018 × The leaders are scheduled to hold the 13th India-Japan Annual Summit, during which wide-ranging talks on strengthening collaboration in key areas such as Defence, security, Indo-Pacific cooperation, and technology are slated to be held. Furthermore, Prime Minister Modi will address members of the Indian community on October 29 before commencing his official engagements. He will also meet several Japanese business leaders and address the India-Japan business forum. #WATCH: Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves for Tokyo by Express Train Kaiji with Japanese PM Shinzo Abe from Yamanashi. #Japan pic.twitter.com/tLqcs0464n — ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2018 ×

PM Modi, Shinzo Abe visit automation facility in Japan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe in Yamanashi, Japan on Sunday.

Modi is in Japan on a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-arrives-in-tokyo-for-13th-india-japan-annual-summit-173867">two-day state visit</a> during which he will also attend the 13th India-Japan summit.&nbsp;The two countries have an annual summit.&nbsp;

This will be Modi's twelfth meeting with Abe since the Indian prime minister first Japan in September 2014.

Modi and Abe are expected, over the summit,&nbsp;to discuss a number of issues including defence and regional security.&nbsp;

"Landed in Tokyo. I am confident this visit will add new vigour to the strong friendship between India and Japan," Modi said in a tweet on Saturday.

In a statement on Friday, before leaving for Japan, Modi described India and Japan as a "winning combination" and said the island nation was New Delhi's most trusted partner in its economic and technological modernisation.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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Prime Ministers <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/AbeShinzo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AbeShinzo</a> meet at Yamanashi. They would be holding talks through the day on deepening India-Japan ties. <a href="https://t.co/T9eGZ3yuVx">pic.twitter.com/T9eGZ3yuVx</a>
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/PMOIndia/status/1056401734526918656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe receives PM Narendra Modi at hotel Mount Fuji in Yamanashi <a href="https://t.co/FoablhOqlc">pic.twitter.com/FoablhOqlc</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1056393984745095168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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PM Narendra Modi presented Japanese PM Shinzo Abe two handcrafted stone bowls made from rose quartz and yellow quartz stone and hand-woven Dhurries by the weavers of Mirzapur, UP, specially crafted on the occasion of his visit to Japan for India-Japan annual summit: Sources <a href="https://t.co/M9ZDaeQWIC">pic.twitter.com/M9ZDaeQWIC</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1056438006557696001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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On landing in Japan, Modi met with the Indian community at Tokyo's Imperial Hotel.&nbsp;

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I thank Japan's Indian community for their warm welcome. 
 
We are proud of the accomplishments of the Indian diaspora. <a href="https://t.co/N51w7nPJpo">pic.twitter.com/N51w7nPJpo</a>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1056194743862882304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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On Sunday afternoon, Prime Minister Modi will join his Japanese counterpart for an informal lunch at a hotel. The two leaders will then visit a company which is a leading manufacturer of factory automation.

Besides bilateral issues, the two leaders are expected to deliberate on a range of regional and global issues including the situation in the Indo-Pacific region.

It is said the prime minister's visit will reaffirm the traditional bonds of friendship between the two countries and strengthen their multi-faceted cooperation in diverse fields.

India is also hoping to have some kind of synergy or integration between Modi's Ayushman Bharat scheme, which is the largest medicare programme of its kind globally, and the Japanese programme which is called Asia Health and Wellbeing Initiative.

Prime Minister in his statement said projects such as Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail and Dedicated Freight Corridors reflected the high level and "strength of our economic engagement".&nbsp;

"Japan is also at the forefront of engaging in our national initiatives, such as 'Make in India', 'Skill India', 'Digital India', 'Start Up India'... Japanese investors have faith in India's economic future, which is marked with myriad opportunities," Modi said. 
Modi will also address the Indian community function in Tokyo and will attend a series of business events and address the business forum.&nbsp;

(With inputs from PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe in Yamanashi, Japan on Sunday. Modi is in Japan on a two-day state visit during which he will also attend the 13th India-Japan summit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe in Yamanashi, Japan on Sunday. Modi is in Japan on a two-day state visit during which he will also attend the 13th India-Japan summit. The two countries have an annual summit. This will be Modi's twelfth meeting with Abe since the Indian prime minister first Japan in September 2014. Modi and Abe are expected, over the summit, to discuss a number of issues including defence and regional security. "Landed in Tokyo. I am confident this visit will add new vigour to the strong friendship between India and Japan," Modi said in a tweet on Saturday. In a statement on Friday, before leaving for Japan, Modi described India and Japan as a "winning combination" and said the island nation was New Delhi's most trusted partner in its economic and technological modernisation. Prime Ministers @narendramodi and @AbeShinzo meet at Yamanashi. They would be holding talks through the day on deepening India-Japan ties. pic.twitter.com/T9eGZ3yuVx — PMO India (@PMOIndia) October 28, 2018 × #WATCH: Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe receives PM Narendra Modi at hotel Mount Fuji in Yamanashi pic.twitter.com/FoablhOqlc — ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2018 × PM Narendra Modi presented Japanese PM Shinzo Abe two handcrafted stone bowls made from rose quartz and yellow quartz stone and hand-woven Dhurries by the weavers of Mirzapur, UP, specially crafted on the occasion of his visit to Japan for India-Japan annual summit: Sources pic.twitter.com/M9ZDaeQWIC — ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2018 × On landing in Japan, Modi met with the Indian community at Tokyo's Imperial Hotel. I thank Japan's Indian community for their warm welcome. We are proud of the accomplishments of the Indian diaspora. pic.twitter.com/N51w7nPJpo — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 27, 2018 × On Sunday afternoon, Prime Minister Modi will join his Japanese counterpart for an informal lunch at a hotel. The two leaders will then visit a company which is a leading manufacturer of factory automation. Besides bilateral issues, the two leaders are expected to deliberate on a range of regional and global issues including the situation in the Indo-Pacific region. It is said the prime minister's visit will reaffirm the traditional bonds of friendship between the two countries and strengthen their multi-faceted cooperation in diverse fields. India is also hoping to have some kind of synergy or integration between Modi's Ayushman Bharat scheme, which is the largest medicare programme of its kind globally, and the Japanese programme which is called Asia Health and Wellbeing Initiative. Prime Minister in his statement said projects such as Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail and Dedicated Freight Corridors reflected the high level and "strength of our economic engagement". "Japan is also at the forefront of engaging in our national initiatives, such as 'Make in India', 'Skill India', 'Digital India', 'Start Up India'... Japanese investors have faith in India's economic future, which is marked with myriad opportunities," Modi said. Modi will also address the Indian community function in Tokyo and will attend a series of business events and address the business forum. (With inputs from PTI)

Modi meets Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, they will discuss defence and regional security

China and Japan on Friday pledged to forge closer ties as both countries stood together at a "historic turning point", signing a broad range of agreements including a $30 billion currency swap pact, amid rising trade tensions with Washington.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang also agreed the two countries would work together to achieve denuclearisation on the Korean Peninsula.

The pacts were reached on Abe's three-day visit to Beijing as the two neighbours looked to carve out new areas of cooperation and seek new ways to promote trust, which has been fragile at times since diplomatic relations resumed in 1972.

"From competition to co-existence, Japan and China bilateral relations have entered a new phase. Hand in hand with Premier Li, I would like to advance our ties forward," Abe said at a briefing.

Abe is expected to meet with President Xi Jinping later on Friday in the first full-scale Sino-Japanese summit since 2011.

Japanese firms including big auto companies like Toyota hope to see normalised ties with China so they can compete with US and European rivals, while Beijing expects Tokyo's endorsement of its ambitious Belt and Road programme, an initiative that Xi hopes will further boost trade and transport links with other countries.

Abe also said Tokyo was "determined" to normalise diplomatic relations with Pyongyang, but only if preconditions were met, including denuclearisation and the release of kidnapped Japanese citizens.

"Our two countries bear large responsibility in achieving peace and stability in this region," Abe said.

Efforts in advancing China-Japan ties should "persevere unremittingly to prevent the appearance of new twists and turns" so that previous efforts did not go to waste, said Li at a joint briefing with Abe on Friday.

"The Chinese side is willing to work with the Japanese side to return to a normal track, and maintain the stable, sustained and healthy development of bilateral relations," he said, adding that he had held candid discussions with Abe since his arrival on matters of mutual concerns.

They reached consensus, Li said, that safeguarding long-term healthy and stable China-Japan ties was in accordance with the interests of both countries and the region and the world.

The move to boost economic ties came as China and the United States slap tit-for-tat tariffs on each other in recent months. Japan is at risk as it exports to China manufacturing equipment and electronic parts, which are used to make finished goods for the United States and other markets.

Ahead of the briefing, China and Japan signed an agreement to prepare yearly plans for talks, dialogues and exchanges, as well as a pact to step up cooperation in innovation.

They also agreed to boost cooperation in the securities markets including the listing of exchange-trade funds (ETFs), and facilitate smoother customs clearance.

Both sides signed a currency swap agreement of up to 3.4 trillion yen ($30.29 billion), effective until 2021. They also inked a deal towards establishing a yuan clearing bank.

Li said both sides had agreed that as major countries, China and Japan should uphold free trade and accelerate talks on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and on a China-Japan-Korea trade zone.

RCEP is a free trade agreement proposed by China with Southeast Asia and various countries on the Pacific Rim including Japan.

China and Japan on Friday pledged to forge closer ties as both countries stood together at a "historic turning point", signing a broad range of agreements including a $30 billion currency swap pact, amid rising trade tensions with Washington.

China and Japan on Friday pledged to forge closer ties as both countries stood together at a "historic turning point", signing a broad range of agreements including a $30 billion currency swap pact, amid rising trade tensions with Washington. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang also agreed the two countries would work together to achieve denuclearisation on the Korean Peninsula. The pacts were reached on Abe's three-day visit to Beijing as the two neighbours looked to carve out new areas of cooperation and seek new ways to promote trust, which has been fragile at times since diplomatic relations resumed in 1972. "From competition to co-existence, Japan and China bilateral relations have entered a new phase. Hand in hand with Premier Li, I would like to advance our ties forward," Abe said at a briefing. Abe is expected to meet with President Xi Jinping later on Friday in the first full-scale Sino-Japanese summit since 2011. Japanese firms including big auto companies like Toyota hope to see normalised ties with China so they can compete with US and European rivals, while Beijing expects Tokyo's endorsement of its ambitious Belt and Road programme, an initiative that Xi hopes will further boost trade and transport links with other countries. Abe also said Tokyo was "determined" to normalise diplomatic relations with Pyongyang, but only if preconditions were met, including denuclearisation and the release of kidnapped Japanese citizens. "Our two countries bear large responsibility in achieving peace and stability in this region," Abe said. Efforts in advancing China-Japan ties should "persevere unremittingly to prevent the appearance of new twists and turns" so that previous efforts did not go to waste, said Li at a joint briefing with Abe on Friday. "The Chinese side is willing to work with the Japanese side to return to a normal track, and maintain the stable, sustained and healthy development of bilateral relations," he said, adding that he had held candid discussions with Abe since his arrival on matters of mutual concerns. They reached consensus, Li said, that safeguarding long-term healthy and stable China-Japan ties was in accordance with the interests of both countries and the region and the world. The move to boost economic ties came as China and the United States slap tit-for-tat tariffs on each other in recent months. Japan is at risk as it exports to China manufacturing equipment and electronic parts, which are used to make finished goods for the United States and other markets. Ahead of the briefing, China and Japan signed an agreement to prepare yearly plans for talks, dialogues and exchanges, as well as a pact to step up cooperation in innovation. They also agreed to boost cooperation in the securities markets including the listing of exchange-trade funds (ETFs), and facilitate smoother customs clearance. Both sides signed a currency swap agreement of up to 3.4 trillion yen ($30.29 billion), effective until 2021. They also inked a deal towards establishing a yuan clearing bank. Li said both sides had agreed that as major countries, China and Japan should uphold free trade and accelerate talks on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and on a China-Japan-Korea trade zone. RCEP is a free trade agreement proposed by China with Southeast Asia and various countries on the Pacific Rim including Japan.

China, Japan to forge closer ties at 'historic turning point'

Japan and China have major responsibility for ensuring regional security and will work together on the North Korea issue, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Friday during an official visit to China.

Abe, speaking to reporters in a briefing with China`s Premier Li Keqiang, also said Japan was committed to normalising diplomatic relations with North Korea.

But several issues, including North Korea`s kidnapping of Japanese citizens, must be resolved before bilateral relations were normalised, he said. 
&nbsp;

Japan and China have major responsibility for ensuring regional security and will work together on the North Korea issue, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Friday during an official visit to China.

Japan and China have major responsibility for ensuring regional security and will work together on the North Korea issue, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Friday during an official visit to China. Abe, speaking to reporters in a briefing with China`s Premier Li Keqiang, also said Japan was committed to normalising diplomatic relations with North Korea. But several issues, including North Korea`s kidnapping of Japanese citizens, must be resolved before bilateral relations were normalised, he said.

Japan's PM Shinzo Abe says to work with China on North Korea issue

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold an annual summit with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on October 28-29. Modi and Abe will not only review the current status of bilateral ties, but are also expected to take some concrete steps to expand their engagement.

For the two leaders, security and defence cooperation are of utmost importance. Over the last few years, security cooperation between the two sides has taken several strides. While India, Japan and the US conduct Malabar naval exercises, New Delhi and Tokyo also hold the annual Defence Ministerial Dialogue, the National Security Advisers’ dialogue, the ‘2+2’ Dialogue, the Defence Policy Dialogue and the Service-to-Service staff talks. They have also decided to enhance ties in this area by fostering defence equipment and technology cooperation in areas such as surveillance and unmanned system technologies, and defence industry cooperation.

For the first time, Japan will be an observer at the Cope India exercise in December between India and the US air forces. The Indian Army will hold the first ground force exercise with its Japanese counterpart next month. At the same time, Japan has also expressed readiness to provide state-of-the-art US-2 amphibian aircraft. Japan has expressed its desire to strengthen cooperation with India in order to tackle terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. During Modi’s visit, the two countries would reportedly sign the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA).&nbsp;

This, in turn, would provide Japanese ships access to fuel and servicing at major Indian naval bases, including the Andaman and Nicobar islands. Modi and Abe said that differences should be resolved through dialogue and all countries, large or small, should enjoy the freedom of navigation, sustainable development, and a free, fair, and open trade and investment system. The two leaders also indicated the need to align Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy with India’s Act East Policy.

The bonhomie between India and Japan comes at a time when China, with which India and Japan both have long-standing disputes, has undertaken aggressive posturing. Since these two countries also want to direction of global politics, they have a shared interest in preventing China’s growing clout. It is in this context that India and Japan are trying to engage with ASEAN countries, including Vietnam and Indonesia. The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue among the US, India, Japan and Australia was revived last year to promote peace and security in the Indo-Pacific. But it is equally true that the Trump administration’s inclination towards looking at things through the prism of ‘America First’ Policy, thereby jeopardising the security of US’ allies and partners, has also made it necessary for the two countries to foster close security and defence ties with each other and also engage other like-mined countries.

India’s $100 military-modernisation programme is yet another factor for the two sides to promote defence relations. Working with Japan will enable India to strengthen its ‘Make in India’ programme in the defence sector, which in turn will not only reduce the volume of India’s arms imports, but also enable it to realise its dream of becoming a major arms exporter. For Japan, transferring high technology to India will burnish its image of a reliable arms technology provider. This can be gauged from the fact that Hiramatsu, the Japanese Ambassador to India, has said that Japan has responded positively to Indian Navy’s ongoing submarine tender project 75I and is keen on collaborating in this area. In the past, Japan was reluctant to provide defence technology. But the proposed signing of an agreement on maritime domain awareness during Modi’s visit will add a new dimension to India-Japan defence ties, given Japan’s position as a world leader in anti-submarine warfare and maritime awareness equipment.

Infrastructure, trade and commerce will be another area of discussion during Modi’s visit. It is expected that Modi’s visit will witness some concrete efforts to develop Asia-Africa Growth Corridor, which can effectively counter China’s Belt Road Initiative. While the signing of the nuclear agreement was seen as an epoch-making event in the bilateral ties in November 2016, the fact remains that in the last two years no movement has been initiated in this area. So Modi should bring up this issue in his talks with Abe. Now, with the deepening convergence of interests in areas such as security, infrastructure, trade and commerce, the importance of Modi’s visit cannot be overstated. 
 
(This article was originally published on DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-the-imperative-of-strengthening-india-s-ties-with-japan-2679320">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold an annual summit with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on October 28-29. Modi and Abe will not only review the current status of bilateral ties, but are also expected to take some concrete steps to expand their engagement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold an annual summit with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on October 28-29. Modi and Abe will not only review the current status of bilateral ties, but are also expected to take some concrete steps to expand their engagement. For the two leaders, security and defence cooperation are of utmost importance. Over the last few years, security cooperation between the two sides has taken several strides. While India, Japan and the US conduct Malabar naval exercises, New Delhi and Tokyo also hold the annual Defence Ministerial Dialogue, the National Security Advisers’ dialogue, the ‘2+2’ Dialogue, the Defence Policy Dialogue and the Service-to-Service staff talks. They have also decided to enhance ties in this area by fostering defence equipment and technology cooperation in areas such as surveillance and unmanned system technologies, and defence industry cooperation. For the first time, Japan will be an observer at the Cope India exercise in December between India and the US air forces. The Indian Army will hold the first ground force exercise with its Japanese counterpart next month. At the same time, Japan has also expressed readiness to provide state-of-the-art US-2 amphibian aircraft. Japan has expressed its desire to strengthen cooperation with India in order to tackle terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. During Modi’s visit, the two countries would reportedly sign the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA). This, in turn, would provide Japanese ships access to fuel and servicing at major Indian naval bases, including the Andaman and Nicobar islands. Modi and Abe said that differences should be resolved through dialogue and all countries, large or small, should enjoy the freedom of navigation, sustainable development, and a free, fair, and open trade and investment system. The two leaders also indicated the need to align Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy with India’s Act East Policy. The bonhomie between India and Japan comes at a time when China, with which India and Japan both have long-standing disputes, has undertaken aggressive posturing. Since these two countries also want to direction of global politics, they have a shared interest in preventing China’s growing clout. It is in this context that India and Japan are trying to engage with ASEAN countries, including Vietnam and Indonesia. The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue among the US, India, Japan and Australia was revived last year to promote peace and security in the Indo-Pacific. But it is equally true that the Trump administration’s inclination towards looking at things through the prism of ‘America First’ Policy, thereby jeopardising the security of US’ allies and partners, has also made it necessary for the two countries to foster close security and defence ties with each other and also engage other like-mined countries. India’s $100 military-modernisation programme is yet another factor for the two sides to promote defence relations. Working with Japan will enable India to strengthen its ‘Make in India’ programme in the defence sector, which in turn will not only reduce the volume of India’s arms imports, but also enable it to realise its dream of becoming a major arms exporter. For Japan, transferring high technology to India will burnish its image of a reliable arms technology provider. This can be gauged from the fact that Hiramatsu, the Japanese Ambassador to India, has said that Japan has responded positively to Indian Navy’s ongoing submarine tender project 75I and is keen on collaborating in this area. In the past, Japan was reluctant to provide defence technology. But the proposed signing of an agreement on maritime domain awareness during Modi’s visit will add a new dimension to India-Japan defence ties, given Japan’s position as a world leader in anti-submarine warfare and maritime awareness equipment. Infrastructure, trade and commerce will be another area of discussion during Modi’s visit. It is expected that Modi’s visit will witness some concrete efforts to develop Asia-Africa Growth Corridor, which can effectively counter China’s Belt Road Initiative. While the signing of the nuclear agreement was seen as an epoch-making event in the bilateral ties in November 2016, the fact remains that in the last two years no movement has been initiated in this area. So Modi should bring up this issue in his talks with Abe. Now, with the deepening convergence of interests in areas such as security, infrastructure, trade and commerce, the importance of Modi’s visit cannot be overstated. (This article was originally published on DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The imperative of strengthening India’s ties with Japan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday described India and Japan a "winning combination" and said the island nation is New Delhi's most trusted partners in its economic and technological modernisation.&nbsp;

In a statement, before he leaves for Japan on Saturday to attend the Annual Summit on October 28 and 29, Modi said India's partnership with Japan is of great substance and purpose.

"We have a special strategic and global partnership. Our ties with Japan, both economic and strategic, stand completely transformed in recent years. It is today a partnership of great substance and purpose. It rests on the strong pillars of India's Act East Policy, and our shared vision and commitment to a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific," he said.

Modi said it will be his 12th meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe since he first toured Japan as prime minister in September 2014.&nbsp;

He said, as democracies, the two countries have shared values and they seek peace and prosperity for all.

"Our complementarities make India and Japan a winning combination. Japan today is one of the most trusted partners in India's economic and technological modernisations and one of the top investors in India," he pointed out.&nbsp;

The PM said that projects such as Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail and Dedicated Freight Corridors reflect the high level and "strength of our economic engagement".&nbsp;

"Japan is also at the forefront of engaging in our national initiatives, such as 'Make in India', 'Skill India', 'Digital India', 'Start-Up India'...Japanese investors have faith in India's economic future, which is marked with myriad opportunities," Modi said.&nbsp;

He said India values Japan's global leadership in innovation, technologies and best practices and during his visit, he will have a chance to see some of Japan's high-tech capabilities in robotics.

"I will have wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and interact with business leaders and captains of industry from both countries. I will also address the Indian community. These interactions will help to further strengthen our trade and investment ties, and cooperation in new areas such as healthcare, digital technologies, agriculture and food processing, disaster risk reduction and disaster resilient infrastructure," he said.

He recalled that last year, he had hosted Prime Minister Abe and his wife Akie Abe in his home state of Gujarat.

In a special gesture, Modi will be hosted by his Japanese counterpart for a private dinner at his holiday home in the picturesque Yamanashi prefecture on October 28, which will be, perhaps, the first such reception to be extended to a foreign leader.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday described India and Japan a "winning combination" and said the island nation is New Delhi's most trusted partners in its economic and technological modernisation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday described India and Japan a "winning combination" and said the island nation is New Delhi's most trusted partners in its economic and technological modernisation. In a statement, before he leaves for Japan on Saturday to attend the Annual Summit on October 28 and 29, Modi said India's partnership with Japan is of great substance and purpose. "We have a special strategic and global partnership. Our ties with Japan, both economic and strategic, stand completely transformed in recent years. It is today a partnership of great substance and purpose. It rests on the strong pillars of India's Act East Policy, and our shared vision and commitment to a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific," he said. Modi said it will be his 12th meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe since he first toured Japan as prime minister in September 2014. He said, as democracies, the two countries have shared values and they seek peace and prosperity for all. "Our complementarities make India and Japan a winning combination. Japan today is one of the most trusted partners in India's economic and technological modernisations and one of the top investors in India," he pointed out. The PM said that projects such as Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail and Dedicated Freight Corridors reflect the high level and "strength of our economic engagement". "Japan is also at the forefront of engaging in our national initiatives, such as 'Make in India', 'Skill India', 'Digital India', 'Start-Up India'...Japanese investors have faith in India's economic future, which is marked with myriad opportunities," Modi said. He said India values Japan's global leadership in innovation, technologies and best practices and during his visit, he will have a chance to see some of Japan's high-tech capabilities in robotics. "I will have wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and interact with business leaders and captains of industry from both countries. I will also address the Indian community. These interactions will help to further strengthen our trade and investment ties, and cooperation in new areas such as healthcare, digital technologies, agriculture and food processing, disaster risk reduction and disaster resilient infrastructure," he said. He recalled that last year, he had hosted Prime Minister Abe and his wife Akie Abe in his home state of Gujarat. In a special gesture, Modi will be hosted by his Japanese counterpart for a private dinner at his holiday home in the picturesque Yamanashi prefecture on October 28, which will be, perhaps, the first such reception to be extended to a foreign leader.

India, Japan a winning combination: PM Modi

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/freed-japanese-journalist-says-syria-kidnap-ordeal-was-hell-173430">Japanese journalist Jumpei Yasuda</a> who was in captivity with the Syrian militants for a period of over three years has said that he was not allowed to move or make any noise during the confinement.

Calling the capitivity as physical and psychological hell, he said that the military would not let him move or make any noise even while sleeping.&nbsp;

Yasuda added that he was not allowed to bath or wash his clothes.

"Because I couldn't wash my hair, my head itched - but when I scratched, that made noise," he said on flight back to Japan.

"Breathing through my nose, cracking my knuckles, moving while I slept - everything was forbidden."

Kept at a space just 1.5 metres high and 1 metre wide, Yasuda was confined with the Syria military for over three years.

Jumpei Yasuda was kidnapped in Syria in 2015.

He arrived back in Japan on Thursday night.

The Japanese government has thanked Qatar and Turkey for their cooperation in freeing Yasuda, but has denied paying a ransom for his release.

Yasuda also had to face criticism on social media where the netizens targetted him saying that he was not even Japanese.

"He is disturbing society," wrote one Twitter user. "He's an anti-citizen," charged another.

Perhaps anticipating the criticism, Yasuda's only statement upon arrival, read to reporters by his wife Myu, was dominated by an apology.

"I apologise for causing such trouble and worry, but thanks to all of you, I was able to come home safely," he said.

A string of kidnappings of journalists in Syria at the height of the country's war exposed differences in how governments and public responded.

Some governments paid ransoms, while others refused, and while countries celebrated their journalists as heroes, others quietly criticised them for taking unnecessary risks.

(With inputs from agencies)

Japanese journalist Jumpei Yasuda who was in captivity with the Syrian militants for a period of over three years has said that he was not allowed to move or make any noise during the confinement.

Japanese journalist Jumpei Yasuda who was in captivity with the Syrian militants for a period of over three years has said that he was not allowed to move or make any noise during the confinement. Calling the capitivity as physical and psychological hell, he said that the military would not let him move or make any noise even while sleeping. Yasuda added that he was not allowed to bath or wash his clothes. "Because I couldn't wash my hair, my head itched - but when I scratched, that made noise," he said on flight back to Japan. "Breathing through my nose, cracking my knuckles, moving while I slept - everything was forbidden." Kept at a space just 1.5 metres high and 1 metre wide, Yasuda was confined with the Syria military for over three years. Jumpei Yasuda was kidnapped in Syria in 2015. He arrived back in Japan on Thursday night. The Japanese government has thanked Qatar and Turkey for their cooperation in freeing Yasuda, but has denied paying a ransom for his release. Yasuda also had to face criticism on social media where the netizens targetted him saying that he was not even Japanese. "He is disturbing society," wrote one Twitter user. "He's an anti-citizen," charged another. Perhaps anticipating the criticism, Yasuda's only statement upon arrival, read to reporters by his wife Myu, was dominated by an apology. "I apologise for causing such trouble and worry, but thanks to all of you, I was able to come home safely," he said. A string of kidnappings of journalists in Syria at the height of the country's war exposed differences in how governments and public responded. Some governments paid ransoms, while others refused, and while countries celebrated their journalists as heroes, others quietly criticised them for taking unnecessary risks. (With inputs from agencies)

Forbidden from moving or making noise, Japanese journalist recounts Syrian torment

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting&nbsp;Japan on October 28&nbsp;for the 13th India-Japan Annual Summit. This will be the fifth Annual Summit meeting between PM Modi and the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and also their twelfth meeting since 2014.

Our Principal Diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal spoke to Japanese ambassador Kenji Hiramatsu ahead of the visit on several issues. Japan's ambassador said connectivity and security cooperation will top the agenda. On the four-nation Quad - US, Japan, India and Australia, he was hopeful it will play "important role" in the future.&nbsp;

WION: How do you see India Japan ties?

Japanese ambassador Kenji Hiramatsu:&nbsp;It is excellent. You see, a lot of our joint projects are going on-- Not only economic and investment but also we see a lot of progress in terms of security and political field.

WION: Key outcomes of PM Modi's Japan visit?

Japanese ambassador Kenji Hiramatsu: So many issues. Can't identify a couple of issues. But I hope in terms of security cooperation would like to see some concrete outcomes from the two leaders discussions. Would like to see connectivity infrastructure agenda which would come out from two leaders discussions. So, among many other issues, these two issues have special attention.&nbsp;

WION: Japan has connectivity plans in India's northeast. How much connectivity will be in focus?

Kenji Hiramatsu:&nbsp; North East is very important for connectivity between India and neighbouring countries. But we would like to see more cooperation between&nbsp;neighbouring countries together with India. In countries like Bangladesh would like to see some concrete infrastructure project implement together by Japan and India.

WION: How do you see Quad's role in Asia? There has been some scepticism regarding the quad?

Kenji Hiramatsu:&nbsp;Some misunderstandings about the Quad. Quad is one of the several mechanisms to promote the Indo-Pacific vision. It was revived last year. This is gradually growing. We are sharing the same values and we hope in the future it will play a very important role. But at the same time would like to attach other format mechanisms to promote the same goals. This is one of the several mechanisms to achieve peace and stable Indo-Pacific region.&nbsp;

WION: What would you like to say on the bullet train? Issues have been on land acquisition.

Kenji Hiramatsu:&nbsp;It's a symbolic project. So very confident that under the strong leadership and guidance by the two prime ministers this project will be completed on schedule.

We continue to support the project. With regard to land acquisition, this is a very important aspect of any kind of infrastructure project. The Japanese and Indian team have been working very closely. I observe they have established a relationship of mutual trust. So I have 100 per cent to our Indian team dealing with high-speed railway project including land acquisition. So I am hoping that the Indian government, state government&nbsp;and the national high-speed rail corporation will find a way to ensure land acquisition in a mutually satisfactory manner.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Japan on October 28 for the 13th India-Japan Annual Summit. This will be the fifth Annual Summit meeting between PM Modi and the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and also their twelfth meeting since 2014.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Japan on October 28 for the 13th India-Japan Annual Summit. This will be the fifth Annual Summit meeting between PM Modi and the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and also their twelfth meeting since 2014. Our Principal Diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal spoke to Japanese ambassador Kenji Hiramatsu ahead of the visit on several issues. Japan's ambassador said connectivity and security cooperation will top the agenda. On the four-nation Quad - US, Japan, India and Australia, he was hopeful it will play "important role" in the future. WION: How do you see India Japan ties? Japanese ambassador Kenji Hiramatsu: It is excellent. You see, a lot of our joint projects are going on-- Not only economic and investment but also we see a lot of progress in terms of security and political field. WION: Key outcomes of PM Modi's Japan visit? Japanese ambassador Kenji Hiramatsu: So many issues. Can't identify a couple of issues. But I hope in terms of security cooperation would like to see some concrete outcomes from the two leaders discussions. Would like to see connectivity infrastructure agenda which would come out from two leaders discussions. So, among many other issues, these two issues have special attention. WION: Japan has connectivity plans in India's northeast. How much connectivity will be in focus? Kenji Hiramatsu: North East is very important for connectivity between India and neighbouring countries. But we would like to see more cooperation between neighbouring countries together with India. In countries like Bangladesh would like to see some concrete infrastructure project implement together by Japan and India. WION: How do you see Quad's role in Asia? There has been some scepticism regarding the quad? Kenji Hiramatsu: Some misunderstandings about the Quad. Quad is one of the several mechanisms to promote the Indo-Pacific vision. It was revived last year. This is gradually growing. We are sharing the same values and we hope in the future it will play a very important role. But at the same time would like to attach other format mechanisms to promote the same goals. This is one of the several mechanisms to achieve peace and stable Indo-Pacific region. WION: What would you like to say on the bullet train? Issues have been on land acquisition. Kenji Hiramatsu: It's a symbolic project. So very confident that under the strong leadership and guidance by the two prime ministers this project will be completed on schedule. We continue to support the project. With regard to land acquisition, this is a very important aspect of any kind of infrastructure project. The Japanese and Indian team have been working very closely. I observe they have established a relationship of mutual trust. So I have 100 per cent to our Indian team dealing with high-speed railway project including land acquisition. So I am hoping that the Indian government, state government and the national high-speed rail corporation will find a way to ensure land acquisition in a mutually satisfactory manner.

Quad can promote Indo-Pacific vision, says Japanese ambassador ahead of PM Modi's visit to Japan

Japan's Shinzo Abe arrived in China Thursday, the first visit to the Asian giant by a Japanese prime minister since relations between the two countries soured six years ago over a territorial row.

Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to discuss how to improve economic cooperation as the world's second and third largest economies prepare to weather a US onslaught of trade measures.

Japanese business is eager for increased access to China's massive market, while Beijing is interested in Japanese technology and corporate know-how.

The visit is the first by a Japanese premier since 2011 and is part of a years-long process of repairing relations in the wake of a disastrous falling-out in 2012, when Tokyo "nationalised" disputed islands claimed by Beijing.

The incident prompted anti-Japanese riots in China, and kicked off a frosty spell that has only recently begun to thaw.

Since an awkward 2014 encounter between Abe and Xi on the sidelines of a summit, there have been ministerial visits by both sides and a softening of rhetoric. 
"Our two countries have been making continuous efforts to improve relations," Abe said before flying to Beijing Thursday, expressing his hope that the visit would "lift bilateral relations to a new level."

The two leaders are likely to focus on a range of potential deals, including joint investments in infrastructure in regional nations including Indonesia and the Philippines.

Abe said they also planned to discuss North Korea and territorial frictions -- calling to make "the East China Sea a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation."

The Japanese leader, who leaves China on Saturday, will also hold talks with Premier Li Keqiang.

Peace treaty anniversary

Just days before Abe's trip, Tokyo lodged an official complaint after Chinese ships cruised around the disputed islands that Tokyo calls the Senkaku and Beijing labels the Diaoyu islands.

Abe's three-day trip sets up the possibility that Xi will visit Japan next year.

China has long denounced Japan for what it says is an insufficiently contrite attitude towards its role in World War II.

But ahead of the trip, Beijing has taken a more cordial stance than it has in the past.

During Abe's visit, the leaders will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the signing of a treaty between the two countries that was intended to set the tone for their relations following the war.

Japanese media have reported Abe is hoping the visit will produce a soft power win in the form of some panda diplomacy, with zoos in Sendai and Kobe apparently angling for new additions. 
&nbsp;

Japan's Shinzo Abe arrived in China Thursday, the first visit to the Asian giant by a Japanese prime minister since relations between the two countries soured six years ago over a territorial row.

Japan's Shinzo Abe arrived in China Thursday, the first visit to the Asian giant by a Japanese prime minister since relations between the two countries soured six years ago over a territorial row. Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to discuss how to improve economic cooperation as the world's second and third largest economies prepare to weather a US onslaught of trade measures. Japanese business is eager for increased access to China's massive market, while Beijing is interested in Japanese technology and corporate know-how. The visit is the first by a Japanese premier since 2011 and is part of a years-long process of repairing relations in the wake of a disastrous falling-out in 2012, when Tokyo "nationalised" disputed islands claimed by Beijing. The incident prompted anti-Japanese riots in China, and kicked off a frosty spell that has only recently begun to thaw. Since an awkward 2014 encounter between Abe and Xi on the sidelines of a summit, there have been ministerial visits by both sides and a softening of rhetoric. "Our two countries have been making continuous efforts to improve relations," Abe said before flying to Beijing Thursday, expressing his hope that the visit would "lift bilateral relations to a new level." The two leaders are likely to focus on a range of potential deals, including joint investments in infrastructure in regional nations including Indonesia and the Philippines. Abe said they also planned to discuss North Korea and territorial frictions -- calling to make "the East China Sea a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation." The Japanese leader, who leaves China on Saturday, will also hold talks with Premier Li Keqiang. Peace treaty anniversary Just days before Abe's trip, Tokyo lodged an official complaint after Chinese ships cruised around the disputed islands that Tokyo calls the Senkaku and Beijing labels the Diaoyu islands. Abe's three-day trip sets up the possibility that Xi will visit Japan next year. China has long denounced Japan for what it says is an insufficiently contrite attitude towards its role in World War II. But ahead of the trip, Beijing has taken a more cordial stance than it has in the past. During Abe's visit, the leaders will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the signing of a treaty between the two countries that was intended to set the tone for their relations following the war. Japanese media have reported Abe is hoping the visit will produce a soft power win in the form of some panda diplomacy, with zoos in Sendai and Kobe apparently angling for new additions.

Japan's PM Shinzo Abe makes rare China visit as relations thaw

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe makes a rare trip to China this week hoping improved relations will lead to new economic partnerships, as the two countries come under US pressure on trade.

The visit is the first by a Japanese premier since 2011 and is part of a years-long process of repairing ties in the wake of a disastrous falling-out in 2012, when Tokyo "nationalised" disputed islands claimed by Beijing.

The incident prompted anti-Japanese riots in China, and kicked off a frosty spell that has only gradually and recently begun to thaw.

Since an awkward 2014 encounter between Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of a summit, there have been ministerial visits by both sides and a softening of rhetoric.

But Abe's trip will be a test of how far the two countries have come, and the need for progress is all the more urgent as US President Donald Trump levies tariffs and rattles sabres on trade with both China and Japan.

"The trade war with the US seems like it's helping bring them together a bit," said Kristin Vekasi, assistant professor of political science at the University of Maine, and an expert on Japan-China ties.

"In that sense, they're actually on the same side... and if Japan leans away from the US because of decreased economic opportunities, there's a potential for closer ties with China," she told AFP.

- Complementary economies - 
The two leaders are likely to focus on a range of potential deals, including joint investments in infrastructure in regional nations including Indonesia and the Philippines.

Abe has signalled some interest in China's massive "Belt and Road Initiative", which funds major infrastructure work, but experts said a concrete deal on Japanese participation was unlikely for now.

Both sides are keen to improve economic cooperation, with Japanese business eager for increased access to China's massive market, and Beijing interested in Japanese technology and corporate knowhow.

"Japan and China have really nicely complementary economies, and they can benefit hugely from having closer trade and investment ties," said Vekasi.

"They'll try and bring home some economic tangibles. That's generally where they've been able to successfully cooperate in the past."

The two leaders may find less common ground outside of the economic realm, with tensions lingering over territorial issues.

Just days before Abe's trip, Tokyo lodged an official complaint after Chinese ships cruised around the disputed islands that Tokyo calls the Senkaku and Beijing labels the Diaoyu islands.

And in September, Japan carried out its first submarine drills in the disputed South China Sea.

Japan does not border the South China Sea but has expressed concern about Chinese military activity there.

Panda diplomacy? 
Abe and Xi are likely to simply avoid those thornier issues, said Kazuyuki Suwa, a professor of political science at the University of Shizuoka.

"Neither side will make any compromises... They will say what they need to say, and won't likely agree to go beyond that," he told AFP.

"The relationship is a mixture of cooperation and confrontation, and that will stay the same."

Much of the meeting will be about optics, with both men looking for the symbolic boost that the summit will provide.

Abe will also be hoping to extract a pledge that China will make good on plans for Xi to pay a reciprocal visit to Japan next year.

If he succeeds, "that itself should be called one of the major achievements of this trip," Suwa said.

And there may be other diplomatic tools at the ready as well.

When Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang visited Japan earlier this year, he announced a gift of a pair of rare wild crested ibises, which arrived this month.

Japanese media have reported Abe is hoping that his visit will produce a bigger bonanza in the form of some panda diplomacy, with zoos in Sendai and Kobe apparently angling for new additions. 
&nbsp;

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe makes a rare trip to China this week hoping improved relations will lead to new economic partnerships, as the two countries come under US pressure on trade.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe makes a rare trip to China this week hoping improved relations will lead to new economic partnerships, as the two countries come under US pressure on trade. The visit is the first by a Japanese premier since 2011 and is part of a years-long process of repairing ties in the wake of a disastrous falling-out in 2012, when Tokyo "nationalised" disputed islands claimed by Beijing. The incident prompted anti-Japanese riots in China, and kicked off a frosty spell that has only gradually and recently begun to thaw. Since an awkward 2014 encounter between Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of a summit, there have been ministerial visits by both sides and a softening of rhetoric. But Abe's trip will be a test of how far the two countries have come, and the need for progress is all the more urgent as US President Donald Trump levies tariffs and rattles sabres on trade with both China and Japan. "The trade war with the US seems like it's helping bring them together a bit," said Kristin Vekasi, assistant professor of political science at the University of Maine, and an expert on Japan-China ties. "In that sense, they're actually on the same side... and if Japan leans away from the US because of decreased economic opportunities, there's a potential for closer ties with China," she told AFP. - Complementary economies - The two leaders are likely to focus on a range of potential deals, including joint investments in infrastructure in regional nations including Indonesia and the Philippines. Abe has signalled some interest in China's massive "Belt and Road Initiative", which funds major infrastructure work, but experts said a concrete deal on Japanese participation was unlikely for now. Both sides are keen to improve economic cooperation, with Japanese business eager for increased access to China's massive market, and Beijing interested in Japanese technology and corporate knowhow. "Japan and China have really nicely complementary economies, and they can benefit hugely from having closer trade and investment ties," said Vekasi. "They'll try and bring home some economic tangibles. That's generally where they've been able to successfully cooperate in the past." The two leaders may find less common ground outside of the economic realm, with tensions lingering over territorial issues. Just days before Abe's trip, Tokyo lodged an official complaint after Chinese ships cruised around the disputed islands that Tokyo calls the Senkaku and Beijing labels the Diaoyu islands. And in September, Japan carried out its first submarine drills in the disputed South China Sea. Japan does not border the South China Sea but has expressed concern about Chinese military activity there. Panda diplomacy? Abe and Xi are likely to simply avoid those thornier issues, said Kazuyuki Suwa, a professor of political science at the University of Shizuoka. "Neither side will make any compromises... They will say what they need to say, and won't likely agree to go beyond that," he told AFP. "The relationship is a mixture of cooperation and confrontation, and that will stay the same." Much of the meeting will be about optics, with both men looking for the symbolic boost that the summit will provide. Abe will also be hoping to extract a pledge that China will make good on plans for Xi to pay a reciprocal visit to Japan next year. If he succeeds, "that itself should be called one of the major achievements of this trip," Suwa said. And there may be other diplomatic tools at the ready as well. When Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang visited Japan earlier this year, he announced a gift of a pair of rare wild crested ibises, which arrived this month. Japanese media have reported Abe is hoping that his visit will produce a bigger bonanza in the form of some panda diplomacy, with zoos in Sendai and Kobe apparently angling for new additions.

Under pressure on trade from US, Japan PM to make first visit to China in 7 years

Japan's government on Monday told US technology firm Facebook Inc to better protect its users' personal data following lapses this year affecting tens of millions of people globally.

The government asked the world's largest social media network to fully communicate security issues to users, increase surveillance of providers of applications on its platform, and inform regulators of any change in security measures.

The request comes after Facebook this month said attackers stole data from 29 million user accounts. That followed the April revelation that personal data of nearly 87 million users was improperly accessed by British firm Cambridge Analytica.

Japan's Personal Information Protection Commission, which investigated the Cambridge Analytica incident with authorities in Britain and elsewhere, issued a statement on Monday detailing its request to Facebook. The request carries no administrative orders or penalties and is not legally binding.

Facebook has promised to detail on its Japanese-language website how it will address the request, the Commission said.

It also said the Cambridge Analytica incident potentially affected up to 100,000 users in Japan, and that the cyber attack may also have had an impact on users in Japan.

Representatives of Facebook did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Japan's government on Monday told US technology firm Facebook Inc to better protect its users' personal data following lapses this year affecting tens of millions of people globally.

Japan's government on Monday told US technology firm Facebook Inc to better protect its users' personal data following lapses this year affecting tens of millions of people globally. The government asked the world's largest social media network to fully communicate security issues to users, increase surveillance of providers of applications on its platform, and inform regulators of any change in security measures. The request comes after Facebook this month said attackers stole data from 29 million user accounts. That followed the April revelation that personal data of nearly 87 million users was improperly accessed by British firm Cambridge Analytica. Japan's Personal Information Protection Commission, which investigated the Cambridge Analytica incident with authorities in Britain and elsewhere, issued a statement on Monday detailing its request to Facebook. The request carries no administrative orders or penalties and is not legally binding. Facebook has promised to detail on its Japanese-language website how it will address the request, the Commission said. It also said the Cambridge Analytica incident potentially affected up to 100,000 users in Japan, and that the cyber attack may also have had an impact on users in Japan. Representatives of Facebook did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Protect users' personal data: Japan government to Facebook

The Indian men's hockey team put up a clinical performance against Japan, demolishing the Asiad gold-medallists 9-0 for its third win in as many matches at the Hero Asian Champions Trophy here.&nbsp;

As many as six Indian players made entries on the score-sheet on Sunday night in a dominating show that reaffirmed their supremacy in Asia and showed that the below-par Asian Games performance was an aberration.&nbsp;

With their third successive win, India lead the six-team event's league standings with a maximum nine points, followed by Malaysia on six points from two games.&nbsp;

Strikers Lalit Upadhyay and Mandeep Singh scored two goals each, while drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh converted a penalty stroke and a penalty corner to lead the goal-fest.&nbsp;

Upadhyay opened the Indian scoring in the fourth minute with a diving deflection and again got into the action in the 45th minute for his double, while Harmanpreet converted a penalty stroke in the 17th minute and then sounded the board with a low penalty corner shot in the 21st minute.&nbsp;

As Japan's defence was swept away by the Indian raids, Mandeep Singh capitalised on two openings in the last quarter -- in the 49th and 57th minute.&nbsp;

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India defeat Japan by 9-0 margin in the only match played on day four of the Hero Asian Champions Trophy 2018 on 21st October 2018. Here's a look at the result of the day.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaKaGame?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiaKaGame</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HeroACT2018?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HeroACT2018</a> <a href="https://t.co/hYyIfmbhhi">pic.twitter.com/hYyIfmbhhi</a>
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Japan's goalkeeper Takashi Yoshikawa was injured in the eighth minute when he blocked Harmanpreet's penalty corner shot, only for the ball to rebound to Gurjant, who flicked it in. Thereafter, reserve Yusuke Takano had to bear the brunt of the Indian attack.&nbsp;

Indian coach Harendra Singh was pleased by his team's ruthless performance.&nbsp;

"The way we played was good. We played to a plan and did not allow Japan's team to play in a certain manner," said Harendra. 
The game also saw a goal each from Akashdeep Singh (36th) and Sumit (42nd).&nbsp;

On the points table, Pakistan have three points from two matches, while Japan are on three points in three games. South Korea and Oman have lost both their matches.&nbsp;

Japan coach Siegfried Aikman said India were too strong to be contained in this contest.&nbsp;

"We tried our level best, but they were very strong. We were below the level as India sparkled with their speed, agility and hard-press game," said Aikman.&nbsp;

The Indian men's hockey team put up a clinical performance against Japan, demolishing the Asiad gold-medallists 9-0 for its third win in as many matches at the Hero Asian Champions Trophy here.

The Indian men's hockey team put up a clinical performance against Japan, demolishing the Asiad gold-medallists 9-0 for its third win in as many matches at the Hero Asian Champions Trophy here. As many as six Indian players made entries on the score-sheet on Sunday night in a dominating show that reaffirmed their supremacy in Asia and showed that the below-par Asian Games performance was an aberration. With their third successive win, India lead the six-team event's league standings with a maximum nine points, followed by Malaysia on six points from two games. Strikers Lalit Upadhyay and Mandeep Singh scored two goals each, while drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh converted a penalty stroke and a penalty corner to lead the goal-fest. Upadhyay opened the Indian scoring in the fourth minute with a diving deflection and again got into the action in the 45th minute for his double, while Harmanpreet converted a penalty stroke in the 17th minute and then sounded the board with a low penalty corner shot in the 21st minute. As Japan's defence was swept away by the Indian raids, Mandeep Singh capitalised on two openings in the last quarter -- in the 49th and 57th minute. India defeat Japan by 9-0 margin in the only match played on day four of the Hero Asian Champions Trophy 2018 on 21st October 2018. Here's a look at the result of the day.#IndiaKaGame #HeroACT2018 pic.twitter.com/hYyIfmbhhi — Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) October 21, 2018 × Japan's goalkeeper Takashi Yoshikawa was injured in the eighth minute when he blocked Harmanpreet's penalty corner shot, only for the ball to rebound to Gurjant, who flicked it in. Thereafter, reserve Yusuke Takano had to bear the brunt of the Indian attack. Indian coach Harendra Singh was pleased by his team's ruthless performance. "The way we played was good. We played to a plan and did not allow Japan's team to play in a certain manner," said Harendra. The game also saw a goal each from Akashdeep Singh (36th) and Sumit (42nd). On the points table, Pakistan have three points from two matches, while Japan are on three points in three games. South Korea and Oman have lost both their matches. Japan coach Siegfried Aikman said India were too strong to be contained in this contest. "We tried our level best, but they were very strong. We were below the level as India sparkled with their speed, agility and hard-press game," said Aikman.

Asian Champions Trophy: India men's hockey team defeat Japan 9-0

The coach whose attempts to guide Serena Williams mid-match during this year's US&nbsp;Open final led to her explosive row with the umpire and a code violation en route to defeat, has called for on-court coaching to be permitted.

Patrick Mouratoglou admitted gesturing to Williams from the stands during her match with Japan's Naomi Osaka -- in contravention of U.S. Open and other grand slam tournament rules -- but the American was left incensed at the umpire's strict interpretation of the rule.

She said she had not seen Mouratoglou's signal and that she had "never cheated in her life".

The incident and the ensuing row resulted in a game penalty and a $17,000 fine for Williams, and divided tennis by triggering a debate about sexism in the sport.

The debate was fuelled by Williams's and others assertions that an umpire would not have dealt with a male player in the same way.

Coaching during matches is permitted in some women's events, but grand slam tournaments are among those which do not allow it.

The US&nbsp;Open permitted players to talk to their coaches during qualifying and junior matches, but any move to allow it during main draw matches would need to be unilateral among the four slams.

This is likely to be problematic with Wimbledon so far entirely against it, although Wimbledon chief Philip Brook told reporters recently it was time for a "grown-up conversation" about the issue.

Mouratoglou clearly thinks it is a good idea and on Thursday said mid-match coaching needed to be authorised in order to "ensure tennis sustains its development".

The Frenchman said it was time coaching was both recognised and valued, because the fallout following last month's US&nbsp;Open final made it look as though coaching was shameful.

"Authorising coaching in competition and actually staging it so that the viewers can enjoy it as a show would ensure it remains pivotal in the sport," he posted on his Twitter feed.

Mouratoglou said he could not understand why tennis was "just about the only sport" where coaching was not allowed, citing soccer, basketball and boxing as high profile examples, and pointing out that elite cyclists are in radio contact with their advisors during races.

Touching on a theme raised by the Williams episode, Mouratoglou said legitimising in-competition coaching would end hypocrisy.

"It is a very basic truth that the vast majority of tennis coaches are actually coaching on court, despite the rule," he said.&nbsp;

"Of course, coaches are usually discreet... occasionally the players are punished for it, but for the most part they are not."

Representatives of the four grand slam tournaments are expected to meet before the end of the year, at which point the future of mid-match coaching will be a topic of conversation.

The coach whose attempts to guide Serena Williams mid-match during this year's US Open final led to her explosive row with the umpire and a code violation en route to defeat, has called for on-court coaching to be permitted.

The coach whose attempts to guide Serena Williams mid-match during this year's US Open final led to her explosive row with the umpire and a code violation en route to defeat, has called for on-court coaching to be permitted. Patrick Mouratoglou admitted gesturing to Williams from the stands during her match with Japan's Naomi Osaka -- in contravention of U.S. Open and other grand slam tournament rules -- but the American was left incensed at the umpire's strict interpretation of the rule. She said she had not seen Mouratoglou's signal and that she had "never cheated in her life". The incident and the ensuing row resulted in a game penalty and a $17,000 fine for Williams, and divided tennis by triggering a debate about sexism in the sport. The debate was fuelled by Williams's and others assertions that an umpire would not have dealt with a male player in the same way. Coaching during matches is permitted in some women's events, but grand slam tournaments are among those which do not allow it. The US Open permitted players to talk to their coaches during qualifying and junior matches, but any move to allow it during main draw matches would need to be unilateral among the four slams. This is likely to be problematic with Wimbledon so far entirely against it, although Wimbledon chief Philip Brook told reporters recently it was time for a "grown-up conversation" about the issue. Mouratoglou clearly thinks it is a good idea and on Thursday said mid-match coaching needed to be authorised in order to "ensure tennis sustains its development". The Frenchman said it was time coaching was both recognised and valued, because the fallout following last month's US Open final made it look as though coaching was shameful. "Authorising coaching in competition and actually staging it so that the viewers can enjoy it as a show would ensure it remains pivotal in the sport," he posted on his Twitter feed. Mouratoglou said he could not understand why tennis was "just about the only sport" where coaching was not allowed, citing soccer, basketball and boxing as high profile examples, and pointing out that elite cyclists are in radio contact with their advisors during races. Touching on a theme raised by the Williams episode, Mouratoglou said legitimising in-competition coaching would end hypocrisy. "It is a very basic truth that the vast majority of tennis coaches are actually coaching on court, despite the rule," he said. "Of course, coaches are usually discreet... occasionally the players are punished for it, but for the most part they are not." Representatives of the four grand slam tournaments are expected to meet before the end of the year, at which point the future of mid-match coaching will be a topic of conversation.

Serena Williams coach makes plea for honest and open on-court coaching

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday agreed upon the importance of conducting an independent investigation over the Rakhine state issue.

At a bilateral meeting in Tokyo, the two leaders discussed ways to enhance economic cooperation and the Rohingya crisis in Rakhine State at a bilateral meeting held after the 10th Mekong-Japan Summit in Tokyo.

Over the last year, more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar to neighbouring Bangladesh, according to UN&nbsp;agencies, following a military response to attacks on security posts by Rohingya insurgents.

A recent UN&nbsp;report accused Myanmar's military of gang rapes and mass killings with "genocidal intent" in Rakhine and called for its commander-in-chief and five generals to be prosecuted under international law.

Myanmar has denied most of the allegations in the report, blaming Rohingya "terrorists" for most accounts of atrocities.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday agreed upon the importance of conducting an independent investigation over the Rakhine state issue.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday agreed upon the importance of conducting an independent investigation over the Rakhine state issue. At a bilateral meeting in Tokyo, the two leaders discussed ways to enhance economic cooperation and the Rohingya crisis in Rakhine State at a bilateral meeting held after the 10th Mekong-Japan Summit in Tokyo. Over the last year, more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar to neighbouring Bangladesh, according to UN agencies, following a military response to attacks on security posts by Rohingya insurgents. A recent UN report accused Myanmar's military of gang rapes and mass killings with "genocidal intent" in Rakhine and called for its commander-in-chief and five generals to be prosecuted under international law. Myanmar has denied most of the allegations in the report, blaming Rohingya "terrorists" for most accounts of atrocities.

Japan, Myanmar reaffirm importance of independent investigation in Rakhine State

While China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been in the news for a while, Japan is slowly funding the building of supplementary trade corridors in the Mekong region, projecting itself as not only interested in building infrastructure but also trade facilitation through the human capacity building in the region. With a growth rate exceeding 5 per cent and a combined population of over 240 million, the Mekong region, which was devastated by the Vietnam War in the 1960s and 1970s, has now emerged as a new growth centre of Asia. With the exception of Thailand, the population of the region — that also includes Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam — is young, with more than 20 per cent of its residents below 15 years of age. In 2015, the combined total GDP in the region amounted to $673 billion, and the middle classes are growing right across the region. 
 
Japan’s renewed interest in the region is fuelled by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s enthusiasm for the US-inspired ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy’, which also ropes in India and Australia. China views this as a strategy to contain Beijing’s economic rise and increasing political clout in the region. Under Japan’s new initiative that has targeted mainly Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam, it is not only funding building of highways, railways and bridges, but also trade facilitation through the training of human capital for better flows of people and goods. A major criticism of the BRI has been the emphasis on the building of infrastructure and the lack of attention to building human resources in the countries concerned.&nbsp;

This has led to suspicions that China is building these trade routes for its own benefit and not to promote two-way trade. The ASEAN, whose membership includes all the Mekong countries plus five others, is worried that the increasing rivalry between Asia’s two major powers may sideline the ASEAN-centrality strategy of the regional grouping with respect to development issues. 
 
During the ASEAN Foreign Minister’s meeting in Singapore in August 2018, it was emphasized that the ‘Indo-Pacific’ strategy should respect ‘Asean-centrality’ in building the regional economic architecture. At the same meeting, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that China would welcome the Japanese initiative for security and economic cooperation in the region, but warned that it needs more funding than what Japan is offering. The Japanese government has pledged $ 110 billion towards ‘high-quality’ infrastructure projects in Asia.

The Chinese government, over the last few years, has pledged some $4 trillion for numerous infrastructure projects in developing countries, that has the potential to make Asia the centre of the global economy. When China announced its grand Silk Route revival initiative (later renamed BRI) a few years ago, Japan expressed scepticism. But in May 2017, Abe sent a special envoy to the BRI forum in Beijing. And at the Hamburg G20 summit in July 2017, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Abe met and discussed Japan’s interest in collaborating with China in implementing the BRI. While perceived disputes in the South China Sea have global attention, there is a greater conflict brewing along the Mekong river, where China has formed its own Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) organisation.

At the 2016 MLC Summit, China pledged $10 billion in preferential loans and another $10 billion in credit for the five countries to develop the region. It has triggered some 132 development projects in the region, but that includes building dams along the river that has upset Vietnam which is downstream. “It is impossible to discuss the LMC without putting it into the context of the BRI. The Mekong sub-region represents a key area for the BRI,” argues Nguyen Khac Giang, lead political researcher at the Vietnam National University in Hanoi. 
 
He points out that the so-called “signature projects” of the LMC, such as the Kunming-Bangkok road, China-Laos railway and Long Jiang Industrial Park (in Vietnam) are in the BRI framework; and most of the finance for LMC projects will come from China, either through the LMC special fund or the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the Silk Road Fund.” The link with China’s ‘initiative of the 21st Century’ indicates that the LMC is part of a bigger bid by Beijing to seek a leadership role in the region, notes Giang. In the 1970s, Japan was credited with having helped the development of South East Asia with strategic investments in setting up industrial parks, where Japanese companies set up manufacturing plants to make use of the region’s cheap labour.

China began its investment in South East Asia much later and started committing funds for infrastructure development after 2000. China’s initiatives for connectivity gained momentum in 2013 when President Xi Jinping proposed the BRI.

“In the colonial past, the Mekong region was divided between two rival powers: Great Britain and France,” notes Furuoka. “With recent developments, the Mekong countries may want to work out an astute and ingenious diplomatic policy to counteract potentially contradicting interests in the region. Otherwise, they could once again find themselves becoming a ‘playground’ for rival powers in Asia,” he warns. 
 
(This article was originally published on DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-sino-japan-rivalry-intensifies-in-asia-s-growth-region-2672774">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp;

While China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been in the news for a while, Japan is slowly funding the building of supplementary trade corridors in the Mekong region, projecting itself as not only interested in building infrastructure but also trade facilitation through the human capacity building in the region.

While China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been in the news for a while, Japan is slowly funding the building of supplementary trade corridors in the Mekong region, projecting itself as not only interested in building infrastructure but also trade facilitation through the human capacity building in the region. With a growth rate exceeding 5 per cent and a combined population of over 240 million, the Mekong region, which was devastated by the Vietnam War in the 1960s and 1970s, has now emerged as a new growth centre of Asia. With the exception of Thailand, the population of the region — that also includes Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam — is young, with more than 20 per cent of its residents below 15 years of age. In 2015, the combined total GDP in the region amounted to $673 billion, and the middle classes are growing right across the region. Japan’s renewed interest in the region is fuelled by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s enthusiasm for the US-inspired ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy’, which also ropes in India and Australia. China views this as a strategy to contain Beijing’s economic rise and increasing political clout in the region. Under Japan’s new initiative that has targeted mainly Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam, it is not only funding building of highways, railways and bridges, but also trade facilitation through the training of human capital for better flows of people and goods. A major criticism of the BRI has been the emphasis on the building of infrastructure and the lack of attention to building human resources in the countries concerned. This has led to suspicions that China is building these trade routes for its own benefit and not to promote two-way trade. The ASEAN, whose membership includes all the Mekong countries plus five others, is worried that the increasing rivalry between Asia’s two major powers may sideline the ASEAN-centrality strategy of the regional grouping with respect to development issues. During the ASEAN Foreign Minister’s meeting in Singapore in August 2018, it was emphasized that the ‘Indo-Pacific’ strategy should respect ‘Asean-centrality’ in building the regional economic architecture. At the same meeting, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that China would welcome the Japanese initiative for security and economic cooperation in the region, but warned that it needs more funding than what Japan is offering. The Japanese government has pledged $ 110 billion towards ‘high-quality’ infrastructure projects in Asia. The Chinese government, over the last few years, has pledged some $4 trillion for numerous infrastructure projects in developing countries, that has the potential to make Asia the centre of the global economy. When China announced its grand Silk Route revival initiative (later renamed BRI) a few years ago, Japan expressed scepticism. But in May 2017, Abe sent a special envoy to the BRI forum in Beijing. And at the Hamburg G20 summit in July 2017, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Abe met and discussed Japan’s interest in collaborating with China in implementing the BRI. While perceived disputes in the South China Sea have global attention, there is a greater conflict brewing along the Mekong river, where China has formed its own Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) organisation. At the 2016 MLC Summit, China pledged $10 billion in preferential loans and another $10 billion in credit for the five countries to develop the region. It has triggered some 132 development projects in the region, but that includes building dams along the river that has upset Vietnam which is downstream. “It is impossible to discuss the LMC without putting it into the context of the BRI. The Mekong sub-region represents a key area for the BRI,” argues Nguyen Khac Giang, lead political researcher at the Vietnam National University in Hanoi. He points out that the so-called “signature projects” of the LMC, such as the Kunming-Bangkok road, China-Laos railway and Long Jiang Industrial Park (in Vietnam) are in the BRI framework; and most of the finance for LMC projects will come from China, either through the LMC special fund or the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the Silk Road Fund.” The link with China’s ‘initiative of the 21st Century’ indicates that the LMC is part of a bigger bid by Beijing to seek a leadership role in the region, notes Giang. In the 1970s, Japan was credited with having helped the development of South East Asia with strategic investments in setting up industrial parks, where Japanese companies set up manufacturing plants to make use of the region’s cheap labour. China began its investment in South East Asia much later and started committing funds for infrastructure development after 2000. China’s initiatives for connectivity gained momentum in 2013 when President Xi Jinping proposed the BRI. “In the colonial past, the Mekong region was divided between two rival powers: Great Britain and France,” notes Furuoka. “With recent developments, the Mekong countries may want to work out an astute and ingenious diplomatic policy to counteract potentially contradicting interests in the region. Otherwise, they could once again find themselves becoming a ‘playground’ for rival powers in Asia,” he warns. (This article was originally published on DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Sino-Japan rivalry intensifies in Asia’s growth region

Ferrari's title contender Sebastian Vettel collided with Red Bull's Max Verstappen at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday in yet another blow to the German's fading Formula One championship hopes.

Vettel, who had started eighth after a failed tyre gamble in qualifying, was trying to pass the young Dutch driver for third place at the fast left-handed sweep of Suzuka's Spoon corner.

Instead, they made contact, with Vettel spun around. He resumed in 19th place with a damaged car.

Stewards reviewed the incident and decided to take no further action.

Verstappen was already carrying a five-second penalty for forcing Vettel's team mate Kimi Raikkonen off the track earlier in the race and would have dropped behind Vettel anyway at the pitstops.

Vettel, who was back to 11th by lap 24 of 53, is 50 points behind Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton with just four races remaining after Sunday.

Hamilton was leading from pole position.

Ferrari's title contender Sebastian Vettel collided with Red Bull's Max Verstappen at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday in yet another blow to the German's fading Formula One championship hopes.

Ferrari's title contender Sebastian Vettel collided with Red Bull's Max Verstappen at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday in yet another blow to the German's fading Formula One championship hopes. Vettel, who had started eighth after a failed tyre gamble in qualifying, was trying to pass the young Dutch driver for third place at the fast left-handed sweep of Suzuka's Spoon corner. Instead, they made contact, with Vettel spun around. He resumed in 19th place with a damaged car. Stewards reviewed the incident and decided to take no further action. Verstappen was already carrying a five-second penalty for forcing Vettel's team mate Kimi Raikkonen off the track earlier in the race and would have dropped behind Vettel anyway at the pitstops. Vettel, who was back to 11th by lap 24 of 53, is 50 points behind Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton with just four races remaining after Sunday. Hamilton was leading from pole position.

Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen collide in Japan

JIMEX-18, a bilateral maritime exercise between India and Japan, began in Visakhapatnam on Sunday. Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) ships Kaga, an Izumo-class helicopter destroyer, and Inazuma, a guided missile destroyer, arrived here to mark the commencement of JIMEX.

The Japanese ships would be participating in the third edition of JIMEX under the command of Rear Admiral Tatsuya Fukada, commander of Escort Flotilla-4 (CCF-4).

The Indian Navy would be represented by three indigenously-designed warships and a fleet tanker. The participating ships are INS Satpura, a multi-purpose stealth frigate, INS Kadmatt, an anti-submarine warfare corvette, missile corvette and INS Shakti, the fleet tanker.

In addition, one submarine, P8I long range maritime patrol aircraft and a number of integral helicopters would be participating in the exercise, the Navy said.

The nine-day event is aimed at enhancing inter-operability, improving understanding and imbibing the best practices of each other, a Navy release said.

The Indian ships would be commanded by Rear Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Fleet.

JIMEX-18 will comprise a harbour phase and a sea phase of four days each.

The harbour phase of the exercise, scheduled from October 7 to 10, would include professional and social interactions between ships' crews, sports fixtures and operational planning for the sea phase.

The sea phase would include anti-submarine warfare exercises, visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) drills, gun firings, cross deck helo operations and coordinated operations in anti-submarine and anti-air threat scenarios.

The last edition of JIMEX was held in December 2013 off the Chennai coast.

The conduct of JIMEX-18 after five years is indicative of an upswing in the Indo-Japanese defence relations and the continued efforts of both governments to work closely to enhance safety and security of the global commons in keeping with 'rule-based order,' the Navy said.

The ships of the two Navies have been working in close coordination in anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden (GoA) for the past few years.

JMSDF has been a regular participant in the Malabar series of exercises between Indian and US Navies.

JMSDF ships participated in the recently concluded MALABAR-18 off Guam (along with Indian and US Navy units) in the Pacific Ocean in June and biennial multilateral exercise RIMPAC-18 off Hawaii, USA, the Navy release added.

JIMEX-18, a bilateral maritime exercise between India and Japan, began in Visakhapatnam on Sunday. Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) ships Kaga, an Izumo-class helicopter destroyer, and Inazuma, a guided missile destroyer, arrived here to mark the commencement of JIMEX.

JIMEX-18, a bilateral maritime exercise between India and Japan, began in Visakhapatnam on Sunday. Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) ships Kaga, an Izumo-class helicopter destroyer, and Inazuma, a guided missile destroyer, arrived here to mark the commencement of JIMEX. The Japanese ships would be participating in the third edition of JIMEX under the command of Rear Admiral Tatsuya Fukada, commander of Escort Flotilla-4 (CCF-4). The Indian Navy would be represented by three indigenously-designed warships and a fleet tanker. The participating ships are INS Satpura, a multi-purpose stealth frigate, INS Kadmatt, an anti-submarine warfare corvette, missile corvette and INS Shakti, the fleet tanker. In addition, one submarine, P8I long range maritime patrol aircraft and a number of integral helicopters would be participating in the exercise, the Navy said. The nine-day event is aimed at enhancing inter-operability, improving understanding and imbibing the best practices of each other, a Navy release said. The Indian ships would be commanded by Rear Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Fleet. JIMEX-18 will comprise a harbour phase and a sea phase of four days each. The harbour phase of the exercise, scheduled from October 7 to 10, would include professional and social interactions between ships' crews, sports fixtures and operational planning for the sea phase. The sea phase would include anti-submarine warfare exercises, visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) drills, gun firings, cross deck helo operations and coordinated operations in anti-submarine and anti-air threat scenarios. The last edition of JIMEX was held in December 2013 off the Chennai coast. The conduct of JIMEX-18 after five years is indicative of an upswing in the Indo-Japanese defence relations and the continued efforts of both governments to work closely to enhance safety and security of the global commons in keeping with 'rule-based order,' the Navy said. The ships of the two Navies have been working in close coordination in anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden (GoA) for the past few years. JMSDF has been a regular participant in the Malabar series of exercises between Indian and US Navies. JMSDF ships participated in the recently concluded MALABAR-18 off Guam (along with Indian and US Navy units) in the Pacific Ocean in June and biennial multilateral exercise RIMPAC-18 off Hawaii, USA, the Navy release added.

India, Japan begin bilateral maritime exercises in Visakhapatnam

An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 struck Japan's northern island of Hokkaido on Friday.

While no injuries or deaths were reported from the quake, the tremor&nbsp;scared the residents of Atsuma where more than 40 people were killed in a 6.7 magnitude earthquake last month.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said the magnitude 5.3 quake Friday morning was centred in southern Hokkaido near Atsuma.

An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 struck Japan's northern island of Hokkaido on Friday. While no injuries or deaths were reported from the quake, the tremor scared the residents of Atsuma where more than 40 people were killed in a 6.

An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 struck Japan's northern island of Hokkaido on Friday. While no injuries or deaths were reported from the quake, the tremor scared the residents of Atsuma where more than 40 people were killed in a 6.7 magnitude earthquake last month. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the magnitude 5.3 quake Friday morning was centred in southern Hokkaido near Atsuma.

5.3 magnitude earthquake hits northern Japan

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