Japan’s Takaichi looks to India to counter China in Indo-Pacific

SCMP | July 2, 2026, 8 p.m. | Original
This Week in Asia Politics

The prime minister is looking to make India an ‘important part’ of Japan’s security transition while boosting economic ties, analysts say

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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in New Delhi, India, on Thursday. Photo: AP

Japan ’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrived in India this week seeking a deeper economic and security partnership, but analysts say the bigger question is how far New Delhi is prepared to align with Tokyo’s China-focused Indo-Pacific strategy.
Takaichi held talks with her Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi , in Delhi on Thursday, with economic security, strategic cooperation and collaboration on innovative technologies high on the agenda.

Analysts suggest the overarching aim of the three-day trip is to reinforce a coalition of nations concerned about China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region, while also giving Takaichi an “easy win” as her domestic support rate drops because of the economic hardships many ordinary Japanese are experiencing.

Economy and security would both be important to Japan and India , as Takaichi would want to “accelerate Japan’s security transition and show that India is an important part of that”, Ben Ascione, an assistant professor of politics and international relations at Tokyo’s Waseda University, told This Week in Asia.

“But whether and to what extent India will share those same views remains to be seen.”

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (left) and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi shake hands ahead of their talks in New Delhi on Thursday. Photo: Kyodo
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (left) and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi shake hands ahead of their talks in New Delhi on Thursday. Photo: Kyodo

Ascione said the idea behind Tokyo’s “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” diplomatic campaign was to move beyond Asia-Pacific regionalism by bringing India more closely into alignment as a counterweight to China.

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