India, Japan close in on military pacts as Abe visits

ShinMaywa Industries

11/12/2015 10:58

* Japan plans sale of amphibious aircraft to India 
    * Abe and Modi forge close ties, with an eye on China 
    * Japanese bullet trains for India 
 
    By Kiyoshi Takenaka and Sanjeev Miglani 
    TOKYO/NEW DELHI, Dec 11 (Reuters) - India and Japan are 
likely to finalise an agreement on protection of military 
information during Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's trip beginning on 
Friday that will the lay the ground for Japanese arms sales to 
India, including seaplanes. 
    Abe and his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, have forged 
close economic and defence ties aimed partly at pushing back 
against China's growing assertiveness in the region. Both are 
embroiled in territorial disputes with China. 
    Officials in Tokyo and New Delhi said the two sides were 
negotiating a defence technology transfer agreement and another 
on sharing of military information that are necessary before 
Japan can sell weapons to India and collaborate on military 
technology. 
    Japan is aiming to make progress on the two defence pacts 
during Abe's three-day visit, a Japanese foreign ministry 
official said in Tokyo. An Indian defence ministry official said 
the broad parameters of the framework agreement were in place. 
    India and Japan have been holding talks for two years on the 
purchase by India of US-2 amphibious aircraft made by ShinMaywa 
Industries  7224.T  , which will be one of Japan's first arms 
sales since Abe lifted a 50-year ban on weapon exports. 
    India wants two of the seaplanes off the shelf and the 
remaining 10 to be manufactured in India, with an Indian 
partner, as part of Modi's push to build a defence industrial 
base.  
    The Indian defence official said he did not expect the deal, 
estimated to be worth $1.1 billion, to be announced immediately. 
    Abe, making a third trip to India since he became prime 
minister, pledged stronger maritime ties, also involving its 
ally, the United States, in a three-way relationship that has 
irked China in the past. 
    "In order to maintain an open, free and peaceful sea, it 
becomes important more and more for there to be collaboration 
between Japan and India, as well as the international community 
including the U.S.," he said in an article published in the 
Times of India. 
    Modi's cabinet this week cleared a $14.7 billion Japanese 
proposal to build a bullet train line between Mumbai and 
Ahmedabad, giving Japan an early lead over China, which is 
conducting feasibility studies for high speed trains on other 
parts of the Indian rail network.  L3N13Z2TS  
($1 = 66.7825 Indian rupees) 
 
 (Editing by Robert Birsel) 
 ((sanjeev.miglani@thomsonreuters.com; +91 11 4178 1020; Reuters 
Messaging: sanjeev.miglani@thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) 
 
Keywords: INDIA JAPAN/