Text Fwd: New ties set with India, U.S. / Govt entering 3-way partnership to tackle security, economic issues

* Text sent from Corazon Valdez Fabros on Jan. 6, 2011

The Yomiuri Shimbun
New ties set with India, U.S. / Govt entering 3-way partnership to tackle security, economic issues
Jan. 6, 2011

Japan, India and the United States will launch a trilateral strategic dialogue this year on security and economic issues, including measures to deal with China's expansion of its naval power, sources said.

The three countries are aiming to hold talks among top bureaucrats in the first half of this year, and ministerial talks as soon as possible after that, the sources said.

They will discuss a wide range of issues, including security, counterterrorism, economic cooperation and energy. They also plan to formulate international rules as soon as possible in such areas as sea lane security, development of outer space and use of the Internet.

The countries want to agree on rules and promote them as international standards in the future through multilateral frameworks such as the East Asia Summit talks, the sources said.

Sea lane security issues include measures to counter terrorist threats and deal with China's expanding naval power.

China is involved in disputes over territories in the South China Sea with Vietnam and the Philippines, and has sent naval ships to those waters in the name of defending Chinese fishing vessels operating there.

Japan, India and the United States will together urge China to observe international rules because Washington, which emphasizes the importance of free seas, is becoming increasingly concerned about China's naval activities in the region.

Tokyo and New Delhi are also involved in disputes with Beijing, in the East China Sea and the Indian Ocean respectively.

Officials of Japan, India and the United States will also exchange opinions on North Korea's nuclear development and the situations in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the sources added.
A senior Foreign Ministry official said some members of the government are considering using three triangular relationships--Japan, South Korea and the United States; Japan, Australia and the United States; and Japan, India and the United States--to deal with China's expanding influence in the region.