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By Franz-Stefan Gady
China is driving Asia’s second- and third-biggest military spenders closer.
Indian Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar has embarked on a four-day visit to Japan this week. The purpose of Parrikar’s visit – his first overseas trip since becoming defense minister in November 2014 – is to strengthen defense ties between India and Japan in the face of China’s growing military might in the region.
Parrikar already had meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Japanese counterpart Gen Nakatani. Today, he also met with Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida.
According to a press statement by the Indian and Japanese defense ministers, both countries want to make the area of defense equipment and technology a “key pillar of bilateral defense relations.” An Indian press release noted that the Indian defense minister, “welcomed Japan’s initiative to strengthen bilateral ties and said that Japan is a privileged partner of India in ‘Make in India’ including in defence equipment and technology sector.”
Read the full story at The Diplomat