India is vital to Quad and without it “Quad cannot exist”, the Japanese Envoy to India Ono Keiichi said on Monday (February 3, 2025), while terming the cooperation framework agreement among Japan, India, Australia and the U.S. as one of the “most important and powerful vehicles” to develop an open and free Indo-Pacific.
On Taiwan, the Envoy said a conflict could disrupt global supply chains, deeply affecting Japanese and Indian economies, which is why he believed peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are “our” common interest. “China holds the key to peace in the North East Asian region and beyond,” he said.
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“Without India, Quad cannot exist. In my personal view, Quad is for India in a sense… There are very big benefits to India and also engagement with India in Quad is a benefit to us. That’s why I am stressing that, we share various fundamental and strategic interests in this framework,” Mr. Ono said while speaking at the Observer Research Foundation.
“Now we have a new era since President Trump returned and it is for us, India and Japan, to strengthen the importance of the Quad to the U.S. and of course to Australia in the coming months,” the Envoy stated. “I have high expectations to India hosting the Quad summit later this year. Japan, of course, will work together with India on every aspect of it to make it very successful.”
Mr. Ono said Quad has implemented initiatives that benefited the countries in various areas including maritime security, critical and emerging technologies, cyber security, and counter terrorism. In this regard, he said the 2021 Quad vaccine cooperation initiative holds a clear showcase how the grouping was an open public good by bringing real tangible benefits to partner nations and also neighbours in the region.
“Quad is not just for us. This framework will be used as a public common good for the entire region,” he said, adding the Quad’s initiatives must continue to address common concerns and promote shared interests.
The Foreign Ministers of Quad met in Washington D.C. on January 21, a day after Donald Trump was sworn in as the U.S. President and right after the confirmation of Marco Rubio as the U.S. Secretary of State. “Our four nations maintain our conviction that international law, economic opportunity, peace, stability, and security in all domains including the maritime domain underpin the development and prosperity of the peoples of the Indo-Pacific. We also strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion,” the joint statement after the meeting said.
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To a question on Taiwan and the tensions, Mr. Ono called Taiwan an extremely important partner and a valuable friend and that both shared fundamental values of democracy and rule of law. “As we see it, Taiwan is now a reliable partner to India too, particularly in emerging technologies like semi-conductors and other hi-tech components which are critical for all industries…,” he said.
On the Indo-Pacific, the Envoy said U.S. engagement in the region “remains vital” for the stability and prosperity of the region. He said U.S. involvement is essential in building supply chains among trusted and reliable partners, including emerging critical technologies and resources. “U.S. has the strongest power and the highest capability to address challenges that the international society faces,” he added.
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Mr. Ono said unilateral measures, including high tariffs, must comply with international rules. On bilateral relations, the Envoy said Japan and India need each other and said the strong economic relationship was the backbone of the relationship. In 2023, the Foreign Direct Investment from Japan was $7 billion. Also, Japan is the second largest equity investor in India after the U.S. over the last two decades.
On people-to-people ties, Mr. Ono said Japan was an ageing society and needed talented Indians coming to the country.
Published – February 03, 2025 11:08 pm IST
