Naval exercises a boost for India-Japan ties

NEW DELHI - For two days last month, ships from the Indian and Japanese naval forces held joint military exercises in waters off Tokyo. By military standards, the exercises were small in scale. But they were heavy with symbolism and brought to light another facet of the growing relationship between the two countries - defence.

Their growing collaboration is expected to lead to tighter cooperation in one of the world's most increasingly important regions, the Indian Ocean. And given the shadow cast by the regional giant that separates the countries, it is a relationship that many observers feel is long overdue.

Such joint exercises might be standard practice in international military-to-military exchanges, but with growing regional tensions - like in the South China Sea, located between India and Japan - they take on a more complex meaning.

"If you look at it through a containment of China prism, it makes sense. Everybody is very worried about China," said Mr Rahul Bedi, a regional defence expert.

The exercises could be taken as part of efforts to boost India's naval power and project its influence beyond the Indian Ocean. THE NEW YORK TIMES

Source: http://www.todayonline.com/World/India/EDC120730-0000019/Naval-exercises-a-boost-for-India-Japan-ties

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