Why PM Modi is on 2-day Japan visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 23 arrived in Japan on a two-day visit. Other than attending the Quad Summit, Modi will be meeting business leaders and interacting with the Indian Community.

He landed in Tokyo on Monday morning, where he was welcomed by Japanese leaders. “Landed in Tokyo. Will be taking part in various programmes during this visit including the Quad Summit, meeting fellow Quad leaders, interacting with Japanese business leaders and the vibrant Indian diaspora,” Modi tweeted in both Japanese and English.

PM Modi also wrote an op-ed for the Yomiuri Shimbun, one of the five major newspapers of Japan. The op-ed, which highlights India-Japan relationship, was published on Monday.

Sharing an itinerary, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said that Modi will have 23 engagements, including meetings with three world leaders.

We take a look at what PM Modi will be doing during his two-day visit to Japan.

MAY 23 - DAY 1

MEETING INDIAN COMMUNITY

After arriving in Tokyo, he was welcomed by Japan’s Indian community. He tweeted the pictures of the rousing welcome. He will interact with the Indian community again in the evening. Japan is home to nearly 40,000 members of the Indian diaspora.

MEETING JAPANESE BUSINESS LEADERS

He will kick off his tour by meeting with business leaders including NEC Corporation chairman Nobuhiro Endo, UNIQLO CEO Tadashi Yanai, Suzuki Motor Corporation adviser Osamu Suzuki, and Softbank Group Corp board director Masayoshi Son, reported India Today. He will also attend a roundtable conference with Japanese business leaders later in the day.

INDO-PACIFIC ECONOMIC FRAMEWORK LAUNCH

PM Modi, at around 4.30 pm, will attend the launch of Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) by US President Biden. The IPEF is an initiative of the US President which is seen as a move to counter Chinese influence in the region. Through IPEF, the US will be looking for partner countries in the region to work on shared objectives, reported ANI.

MAY 24 - DAY 2

QUAD SUMMIT

PM Modi will start his second day in Japan by attending the Quad Summit. The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue,the Quad, is a strategic security dialogue between India, Australia, Japan, and the United States.

The Quad summit is aimed at bolstering cooperation among the member nations and discussing developments in the Indo-Pacific region. The leaders of the four member nations will review the progress of various Quad initiatives.

Quad was initiated in 2007 by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, with the support of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Australian Prime Minister John Howard and US Vice President Dick Cheney.

BILATERAL MEETINGS WITH QUAD LEADERS

After the Quad summit, PM Modi will have bilateral meetings with state heads of US, Japan and Australia. 

He will first meet US President Joe Biden. The two leaders are expected to review the India-US strategic partnership and follow up on discussions held during the PM's bilateral meeting with Biden in September 2021. They will also exchange views on regional and global developments of shared interest.

Modi will also meet with the newly-elected Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese. The two leaders are expected to review the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest.

Later in the evening, he will meet Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. The meeting with PM Kishida will provide an opportunity for the two leaders to carry forward their conversations from the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit held in March 2022, when PM Kishida visited India.