From C K Nayak
NEW DELHI: The North East, bordering as many as five countries, is witnessing a peculiar geo-political scenario where arch rivals Japan and next door neighbour China are courting for investment in infrastructure, at times even jointly.
Interestingly, the first speculations of Sino-Japanese collaboration in infrastructure development in the region gained ground when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met earlier this year in Wuhan, China, and agreed to energise the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) connectivity project.
Despite showing reluctance to attach itself to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), India is on board with the BCIM project. India is opposed to One Belt One Road since it is passing through disputed POK.
China too is dead against any foreign investment, including that of Japan in Arunachal Pradesh. But it has made it clear that both countries are trying to settle longstanding dispute in this sector soon.
Collaboration between China and Japan will fill the resource gap, which has been a major bottleneck in the Bangladesh and Myanmar phase of the BCIM project. India and Japan have already announced setting up of the Act East Forum and referred to plans to take up infrastructure projects such as road connectivity and electricity in India’s northeastern states.
Kenji Hiramatsu, Japanese ambassador to India who visited Meghalaya and other NE states, feels the region is “one of the core agenda of bilateral relationship”.