PM Modi Arrives In Japan On Two-Day Visit To Attend Quad Summit, Bilaterals

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday arrived in Japan on a two-day visit to attend a summit of the Quad leaders which is aimed at further bolstering cooperation among the member nations of the influential grouping and discussing developments in the Indo-Pacific region.

"Landed in Tokyo. Will be taking part in various programmes during this visit including the Quad Summit, meeting fellow Quad leaders, interacting with Japanese business leaders and the vibrant Indian diaspora," Modi tweeted in both Japanese and English.

"Ohayo, Tokyo! PM @narendramodi arrives to a warm welcome in Tokyo on what is his fifth visit to Japan in the last 8 years," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted.

Besides Modi, the Quad summit in Tokyo on May 24 will be attended by US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Australian prime minister-elect Anthony Albanese.

"In Japan, I will also participate in the second in-person Quad Leaders' Summit, which will provide an opportunity for the leaders of the four Quad countries to review the progress of Quad initiatives," Modi said in his departure statement.

"We will also exchange views about developments in the Indo-Pacific region and global issues of mutual interest," said Modi, whose visit to Japan is taking place under the shadow of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The Quad or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue comprises India, the US, Japan and Australia.

Modi, who is visiting Tokyo at the invitation of his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida, will hold separate bilateral meetings with Biden, Kishida and Albanese on the sidelines of the summit. He had hosted Kishida for the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit in March 2022.

"During my visit to Tokyo, I look forward to continuing our conversation further, with an aim to strengthen the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership," Modi said ahead of his visit.

He said economic cooperation between India and Japan is an important aspect of their Special Strategic and Global Partnership. Modi also said that he is looking forward to a bilateral meeting with newly-elected Australian Prime Minister Albanese during which the multifaceted cooperation between the two countries under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and regional and global issues of mutual interest will be discussed.

Noting that Japan is home to nearly 40,000 members of the Indian diaspora, who are an important anchor in India's relations with Japan, Modi said he looks forward to interacting with them.

The prime minister is also scheduled to hold separate meetings on Monday with a number of leading corporate honchos, including NEC Corporation chairman Nobuhiro Endo, Uniqlo president Tadashi Yanai, Suzuki Motor Corporation adviser Osamu Suzuki and Softbank Group Corporation board director Masayoshi Son.

Modi's agenda on the first day of his visit to Tokyo also includes a roundtable with Japanese business leaders and an interaction with the Indian community. The rollout of the IPEF by Biden is expected to send across a signal that the US is focused on pushing forward a strong economic policy for the Indo-Pacific to counter China's aggressive strategy on trade in the region.

At a media briefing on Thursday, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India has received the details of the IPEF.

"We have received details of this. And we are examining it. At this point, that's all I have to say. I would not be in a position to prejudge what might happen in Tokyo or in future, but as I said, we are looking into the initiative," he said.

It is learnt that a number of countries, including India, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore and the Philippines, may join the IPEF.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Sunday said the IPEF is designed to create "high-standard approaches" to the digital economy, to the clean energy transition, to diverse and resilient supply chains and to open and transparent economic governance.

Talking to the media, he also clarified that the IPEF is not a security arrangement. "No, it's not — it's not a security arrangement. It is an economic arrangement focused around the further integration of Indo-Pacific economies, setting of standards and rules, particularly in new areas like the digital economy, and also trying to ensure that there are secure and resilient supply chains," Sullivan said.

In Tokyo, Modi will also hold a bilateral meeting with US President Biden. "I will hold a bilateral meeting with President Joseph Biden, where we will discuss further consolidation of our multi-faceted bilateral relations with USA. We will also continue our dialogue on regional developments and contemporary global issues," Modi said in a statement.

The prime minister will also hold separate bilateral meetings with Japanese PM Fumio Kishida and newly-elected Australian PM Anthony Albanese

(with inputs from PTI)