Japan-India Joint Statement to Express ‘Serious Concern’ Over China, Include ¥10 Tril. Private Investment Target in India

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:05 JST, August 27, 2025

Japan and India are to express “serious concern” over the situation in the East and South China Seas amid China’s maritime expansion, according to a draft joint statement to be announced at a meeting between Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi scheduled Friday.

The draft, which will outline the direction the bilateral cooperation will take over the next 10 years, will also specify a target of ¥10 trillion in private Japanese investment in India. It will also outline cooperation in eight areas, including the introduction of Japan’s next-generation Shinkansen bullet trains currently being developed in Japan.

The draft statement will note that building a Japan-India relationship is essential to pursuing security and prosperity for the next generation and will list three key areas: defense and security cooperation, stronger economic ties, and deeper engagement between people.

While not directly naming China, the statement will express “serious concern” over the militarization of disputed territories and dangerous actions taken by military aircraft, coast guard vessels and other ships.

The wording is thought to refer to China having its military on the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, where China is in a dispute with the Philippines over territorial rights, and Coast Guard vessels’ intrusions into the territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture.

The draft will state that Japan and India “strongly oppose” attempts to change the status quo by force or intimidation. It will commend the Quad alliance, comprising Japan, India, the United States and Australia, saying that it has evolved into a permanent regional group, and will pledge to cooperate more with like-minded nations.

The ¥10 trillion investment is a target for the next decade, and the Shinkansen, which will have improved safety features, will be introduced in the early 2030s.

Regarding economic security, the draft statement will include strengthening supply chains for semiconductors and critical minerals.