India is carefully navigating its relationships with Japan and China, ensuring it doesn't upset Japan while managing its interactions with China. Prime Minister Modi's recent trip to Japan and China highlights this delicate balancing act.

Modi's visit to Japan underscores the importance of the India-Japan relationship. His decision to return home before China's military parade on September 3 demonstrates New Delhi's sensitivity to Japanese concerns. Japan has been wary of China's commemorations, viewing them as having anti-Japanese undertones.

India and Japan's relationship took modern shape in 1952 when diplomatic ties were established. Since then, the partnership has deepened, evolving into one of strategic and economic importance. Japan is a key partner in India's economic transformation. India was the first country with which Japan signed a peace treaty after World War II, and the two countries now have a "Special Strategic and Global Partnership". The India-Japan partnership is rooted in civilizational ties and reinforced by their regional and global outlooks. India's Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) align with Japan's Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) policy. Japan leads IPOI's connectivity pillar and is India's largest Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) donor.

Cooperation between India and Japan extends to platforms like the Quad, International Solar Alliance (ISA), Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), and Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI). The two countries share values, trust, and a strategic outlook. Japan is expected to announce a decade-long investment plan worth 10 trillion yen (around $68 billion) for India during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit. This aims to deepen economic ties and promote a "free and open Indo-Pacific" amid China's growing assertiveness.

India and Japan's defense cooperation has strengthened, driven by China's growing influence in the Indian Ocean, East China Sea, and South China Sea. Both countries have their own interests and concerns regarding security and sovereignty. By 2015, India and Japan concluded key agreements on Defense Equipment and Technology Cooperation and Security of Classified Military Information. The 2020 Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) established procedures for reciprocal provision of supplies and services between the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and the Indian Armed Forces.

Despite close ties with Japan, India also manages its relationship with China. Modi attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin. This was his first visit to China in over seven years, following border clashes in 2020. The SCO summit provided a platform for India to engage with regional and global leaders.

India is committed to working with SCO members to address shared challenges and deepen regional cooperation. Modi met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the SCO summit. Boosting trade and investment ties with Japan and steps to further normalize relations with China are expected to be the main focus of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's four-day visit to the two countries.

India is trying to balance its relationships with the US, Japan and China. Relations with the US have been strained by tariffs, leading India to expand relationships with other powers and lower tensions with rivals like Beijing. Modi's visits to Japan and China aim to further India's national interests and contribute to regional and global peace, security, and sustainable development.