One major difference lies in the Japanese government’s ability to mobilise large amounts of Overseas Development Assistance, particularly through soft loans, she added.
“The Tokyo Declaration puts Prime Minister Abe’s commitment at 3.5 trillion yen over five years (around USD USD 33 billion). That’s a much larger sum than the United States government typically mobilises, and at a time when the US Congress has not renewed the US ExIm Bank?s charter, shows where Washington has a diminished ability to support similar projects,” Ayres said.
“Countries like Japan are working with economic policy tools to meet the strategic interests of partners like India, especially on infrastructure. Some good lessons for us here,” she said.
Writing for “Asia Unbound” a CFR foreign policy blog, Sheila A Smith wrote that in his five-day visit this week, Narendra Modi has made Japan’s pivot to India even more enticing ? and far more likely to succeed.
Modi’s election in May has brought more energy to the relationship, she noted.
“As the television footage suggested, the two leaders seem to have a good chemistry, and enjoyed their time together. Modi even sent out messages of thanks to Abe via social media as he visited Kyoto and other spots in Japan,” Smith said.
Abe, according to her, must be satisfied to see one of his main diplomatic efforts take root.
He has put considerable energy into developing new partners and opportunities for balancing China?s rise, and India has long been an option that Tokyo’s strategic thinkers have looked to develop, she observed.
