- Tuesday, March 04, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
India and Japan are known to be close friends on the international stage but if sources in the Indian government are to be believed, Japanese foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi is unlikely to take part in the two-day meeting of the foreign ministers of the G20 grouping starting in New Delhi on Wednesday (1).
It was also unclear whether the minister would attend a meeting of the Quad club, including the US and Australia besides India and Japan, on Friday (3), said the official source on the condition of anonymity.
The news was earlier reported by the Japanese media. According to them, a deputy minister is likely to be dispatched in place of Hayashi.
The Japanese foreign minister’s absence at the all-important meetings could upset the ambience. According to a report by Bloomberg, the move comes as Japan eyes bolstering its security and other ties with India’s Narendra Modi government amid growing concerns over China’s assertive conduct in the region, besides the war in Ukraine.
It was said that the reports triggered a backlash from lawmakers and the general public on social media who felt it led to wasting an opportunity to show leadership as Tokyo prepares to host the Group of Seven (G7) summit in May.
Bolstering ties with India has been a priority for Japan’s Fumio Kishida government as it looks for more partners to counter challenges to its security faced from countries such as China. Quad is one such platform the stature of which has grown in recent years as a counter to China.
Japan also held its first joint military air drills with India in January and the Kishida government is mulling inviting India and Australia to the G7 summit to discuss issues such as Ukraine, nuclear disarmament and climate change, Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported.
Against these backdrops, the absence of Japan’s foreign minister at the G20 and Quad talks has led to wide criticism.
Goshi Hosono, a former Japanese minister, said on Twitter, “It’s a regrettable decision that means forfeiting a chance to emphasize the importance of the rule of law to the developing countries that take part in G-20.”
Hosono, who was earlier in the opposition Democratic Party, said such decisions to prioritise parliament over diplomacy were often made to please the ruling parties, the Bloomberg report added.
Hayashi had already arranged bilateral talks with some of his counterparts on the sidelines of the meeting, a Kyodo News report said.
The agency also cited an unidentified Indian government official as saying that the decision not to attend would be a negative for Japan’s foreign policy and convey a message that Tokyo values only the G7.
