Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (August 29, 2025) said it is important for India and China to work together to bring stability to the world economic order as he asserted that New Delhi is ready to advance bilateral ties from a strategic and long-term perspective based on mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity.

In an interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun published during his ongoing visit to Japan, Mr. Modi also asserted that stable, predictable, and amicable bilateral relations between India and China, as two neighbours and the two largest nations on earth, can have a positive impact on regional and global peace and prosperity.

Asked about the importance of improving relations with China at this time, the Prime Minister said, “At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, I would be travelling to Tianjin from here to take part in the SCO Summit. Since my meeting with President Xi in Kazan last year, steady and positive progress has been made in our bilateral ties.”

For multi-polar world: PM

This is also crucial for a multi-polar Asia and a multi-polar world, he added. “Given the current volatility in the world economy, it is also important for India and China, as two major economies, to work together to bring stability to the world economic order,” Mr. Modi said.

India is ready to advance bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective on the basis of mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity, and to enhance strategic communication to address our developmental challenges, he said.

When asked about his views on the Japanese government’s concept of a free and open Indo-Pacific, Mr. Modi said there is a strong convergence between Japan’s vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific and India’s own approach, encapsulated in our Indo-Pacific vision, in the ‘Vision MAHASAGAR’ and the Indo-Pacific Oceans’ Initiative.

India and Japan are committed to an Indo-Pacific that is peaceful, prosperous, stable and where the territorial integrity and sovereignty of nations are respected, the Prime Minister said.

“Both our countries have strong and extensive linkages with countries in the Indo-Pacific region, and we both engage with some of them in plurilateral formats to give expression to our shared objectives,” he said.

Stand on Ukraine conflict

Talking about his recent conversations with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine, Mr. Modi said India has maintained a principled and humanitarian stance on the conflict, which is equally appreciated by both President Vladimir Putin and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“In line with this, both the leaders spoke to me to share their perspectives on the developments related to the conflict. I reiterated India’s principled and consistent stand and encouraged dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the conflict. I have already indicated India’s willingness to support meaningful efforts aimed at achieving peaceful resolution of the conflict,” he told the Japanese newspaper.

“I believe, by virtue of our good relations with both sides, including key stakeholders, we can strengthen efforts dedicated to the restoration of an early and lasting peace in Ukraine,” Mr. Modi said.

Importance of Global South

Stressing the importance of the Global South, PM Modi said the global community has made a commitment to create a more equitable world through achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

“If we have to live up to this commitment, then the Global South must be given priority. In a highly interconnected world, we have seen the debilitating impact of the pandemic, conflicts and supply chain disruptions on the Global South,” the Prime Minister said.

They continue to face myriad challenges involving global governance, climate change, food and energy security, debt and financial stress, all having a significant impact on their development priorities, he said.

“As members of the Global South, we clearly understand these concerns and their effects on people’s lives. We have made strenuous efforts to bring these to the forefront of the global agenda,” he said.

”All our global initiatives, like Mission LiFE, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, International Solar Alliance, and Global Biofuels Alliance, focus on promoting the interests of the Global South. Our G20 Presidency saw the inclusion of the African Union and gave voice to the aspirations of the Global South,” Mr. Modi pointed out.

Similarly, in BRICS, India is actively engaged in working toward the benefit of the Global South, he added.

India attaches importance to its engagement with BRICS, which has emerged as a valuable forum for consultation and cooperation and has helped promote mutual understanding on a specific set of issues of common interest to emerging economies, he said.

Under the rubric of the Quad, he said they have worked for the development and progress of the countries in the Indo-Pacific.

“India has also consistently called for urgent and comprehensive reforms of the global multilateral institutions to make them more effective and reflective of the current geopolitical and economic realities,” he said.

He pointed out that in the last 20 years, since its inception in 2004, the Quad has emerged as a force of global good, delivering positive outcomes for the people of the Indo-Pacific region.

Published – August 29, 2025 10:27 pm IST

New Delhi:

The India-Japan partnership is set against a larger context of a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific and it will continue to grow, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday as the two sides held a fresh edition of “2+2” dialogue amid China’s increasing military muscle-flexing in the region.

The Japanese delegation at the talks in Delhi was headed by Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defence Minister Kihara Minoru. Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh headed the Indian team.

“In the last decade, our relationship has assumed the form of a special strategic and global partnership. The logic of this evolution is our expanding interests and growing activities,” Jaishankar said in his televised opening remarks.

“As we both step forward into a more volatile and unpredictable world, there is a need for reliable partners with whom there are substantial convergences,” he said.

“As a result, we have consciously sought to facilitate each other’s endeavours, comprehend each other’s objectives, strengthen each other’s positions and work with other nations of shared comfort,” he added.

The external affairs minister said the strategic partnership between India and Japan will continue to grow as “we embrace mutuality and display sensitivity”.

“Our cooperation is today set against a larger context of a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific. For India, this is a natural extrapolation from our Act East policy,” he said.

Jaishankar emphasised that the “2+2” dialogue must particularly focus on the steps ahead.

“It has been two years since we last met in Tokyo. There have been many developments of consequence in the world. Our own relationship also has to factor in changes in our own capabilities and calculations,” he said.

In his remarks, Singh said the India-Japan special strategic and global partnership is based on democratic values and the rule of law.

He said India has set a goal of becoming a developed country by 2047 and building domestic defence capabilities is one of the significant aspects of this vision.

“The India-Japan partnership in the defence sector will be an important aspect to realise our goal. Let us make a vision for this partnership,” the defence minister said.

He exuded confidence that the discussions will lead to make a stronger commitment for cooperation in the defence sector.

“The India-Japan partnership in this sphere will be very important considering the current global situation. I think this partnership is crucial to ensure freedom, inclusivity and transparency in the Indo-Pacific,” Singh said.

Jaishankar and Singh held separate bilateral talks with their Japanese counterparts ahead of the “2+2” dialogue.

The “2+2” dialogue with Japan was initiated to further deepen bilateral security and defence cooperation and bring greater depth to the special strategic and global partnership between the two countries.

India has the “2+2” ministerial format of dialogue with very few countries, including the United States, Australia and Russia.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)