Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have just carried out what can be called "sibling diplomacy." But now they are facing embarrassment.
According to a report by the Japanese Kyodo News on July 18, former Japanese Justice Minister Hideyuki Makihara posted on X (formerly Twitter) stating that the slow progress of Japan's cooperation in the Indian high-speed railway project was due to the Indian side. In response, an Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman refuted this claim at a press conference on the 17th, saying: "This is far from the truth. The negotiations between Japan and India are actually progressing smoothly."
This high-speed rail project aims to connect Ahmedabad in western India with Mumbai, with a total length of about 500 kilometers and a travel time of approximately 2 hours. It is a project symbolizing Japan-India cooperation, using the Japanese Shinkansen model. The project's groundbreaking ceremony was held in 2017, with the initial goal of opening to traffic by 2023. However, it has been delayed due to objections from residents and difficulties in land acquisition.
In the article, Makihara mentioned that he was also involved in that high-speed rail project, stating that ‘the absurd behavior of Indians, which repeatedly appears in international conferences and negotiations, is quite conspicuous.’ He also pointed out that the Indian side did not keep their promises, and mentioned that the minister in charge of the project was very poor.
The Indian spokesman stated at the press conference that "the construction project is progressing rapidly, and some sections will be opened next year." He emphasized that the plan was progressing well, but did not mention aspects such as the claims of "excessive" requirements or the minister's evaluation.
On July 2, Shizuka Hayashi visited New Delhi and held talks with Narendra Modi. Modi publicly referred to Hayashi as “my sister,” while Hayashi responded by stating that she hopes to promote Japan-India relations based on “sibling relationships” in the future. The two countries subsequently signed or approved a series of documents related to economic security, artificial intelligence, energy, and defense cooperation. They also reaffirmed the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail project as the flagship project for Japan-India cooperation, and agreed to continue working together on the introduction of Japanese E10 series Shinkansen trains.
