Abe and Indian Prime Minister Modi Meet in Trade Negotiations and Security Problems

Japanese and Indian leaders reaffirm their ties to growing concerns over trade and regional stability.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived in Japan on Saturday, met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday in a resort area near Mount Fuji. Modi also visited a nearby factory of the leading Japanese Fanuc robot manufacturer in Yamanashi Prefecture. This is the first time Abe has invited a foreign political leader to his holiday home in the village of Narusawa, prefecture, Kyodo News reported.

Relations with China are a major problem shared by Modi and Abe, as their cooperation can balance China's growing regional influence and its military insurance.

"The India-Japan partnership has been fundamentally transformed and it has been strengthened as a" strategic and global special partnership, "Modi told Kyodo. "There is no negative, but only opportunities in this relationship that are waiting to be grasped."

Modi chose Japan as one of the first nations to visit after taking office four years ago. He urged the countries of the Indo-Pacific region to unite against protectionism and cross-border tensions.

Another sign of rapprochement, India and Japan should also organize their first joint military exercises involving land forces from next month.

Abe has just returned from China, where he met with President Xi Jinping and agreed that the two nations "shared more common interests and concerns".

President Donald Trump's policies that mainly target tariffs to China, but also Japan and other countries, accusing them of unfair trade practices, strive to incite India and Japan to promote their economic ties.

Japan's investment in India, for example, could further increase. Japan is helping India set up an extremely fast rail system.

Abe has placed the strengthening and openness of the national economy at the center of its policy called "Abenomics" and has promoted trade, foreign investment and tourism.

Although Japan has long considered the United States as its main ally, especially in defense, Abe is courting other ties. He also talked about free trade, which goes against Trump's actions to raise tariffs.

Earlier this year, Japan signed a historic agreement with the European Union that will eliminate almost all tariffs on the products they market. European and Japanese leaders pledged to strengthen their partnership in the areas of defense, climate change and human exchanges, to send what they called a clear message against protectionism.

Abe and Modi will hold a more formal summit Monday in Tokyo.

© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, disseminated, rewritten or redistributed.