As China Eyes Indian Ocean, Japan and India Pair Up on Defense

The New York Times ^ | July 27, 2012 | The New York Times

[James C. Bennett]

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 — defense.

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 Rahul Bedi, a regional defense expert — particularly the Indian Navy, as China flexes its muscle in the Indian Ocean.

According to an Indian Navy spokesman, Commander PVS Satish, the ships involved covered basic exercises aimed at simply “understanding each other’s operational and communication procedures.” Around 1,400 sailors from four ships were involved, including the missile destroyer I.N.S. Rana and the frigate I.N.S. Shivalik.

The joint exercises were part of official commemorations of 60 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries; there has also been a flurry of high-level visits back and forth, including a trip to India last November by Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda of Japan. There is a lot to celebrate, given that just 15 years ago, relations hit a low point when Japan deeply objected to India’s testing of nuclear weapons.

“This is part of a wider ambition to show the flag regularly east of the Strait of Malacca, now that India is becoming an Indo-Pacific nation and not solely an Indian Ocean power,” said Rory Medcalf, director of the International Security Program at the Lowy Institute, an Australian foreign policy think tank.

[James C. Bennett]

“At sea, both have serious navies. Japan’s may be more advanced, for instance, with its strong submarine fleet, but India has the benefit of long experience in the Indian Ocean,” he said.

In addition, the South China Sea is particularly geostrategically important, as it is critical to global shipping routes and has enormous potential oil and natural gas reserves. But it is also pockmarked by a handful of worrying territorial disputes.

RELATED: U.S., India Inch Toward Naval Partnership | World Politics Review

[bunkerhill7]

Confucuius say Chinese man who sail boat south get big toe in crab pincer.

[ClearCase_guy]

It says something very interesting that Japan, India, and the United States are all saying simultaneously: "Let's get ready just in case we find ourselves in a naval war with China."

A land war in Asia is not a good idea -- but if the shipping lanes are cut, China would have serious logistics trouble. If the need arises to take down the dragon, the world seems positioned to do so, without much emphasis on "boots on the ground".

[Sola Veritas]

If one will look at China through the eyes of history, you will see that they are acting the same way Japan did leading up to WWII.

China is not merely content to be an economic superpower, they intend to be so militarily. So, if they cannot conquer using economics they will do so using their military. Combining this increasing agressive China with a Russia that is moving towards becoming a USSR againa (at least Putin thinks that way), and the free world has a big future problem to deal with now before it is too late.

[Gay State Conservative]

Japan,India,the Philippines,South Korea,Singapore...and even Vietnam have much to fear from China.Australia may want to take a look around once in a while too.Of course New Zealand sees the *US* as the threat so they’re not worried.