On July 1st, upon arriving in New Delhi, a scene at the airport left even Indians feeling embarrassed!
Takahashi Asahi arrived in New Delhi early on the morning of July 2nd local time. According to multiple media reports, the reception ceremony at the airport was rather awkward — when facing Indian welcoming officials, Takahashi displayed excessive flattery, making even Indians feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Indian media believe there is an unavoidable major context behind Takahashi’s visit: Japan is currently in deep crisis. The yen has been continuously collapsing, falling below 162 yen per US dollar by the end of June — its lowest level in nearly 40 years. The Japanese Ministry of Finance has spent over $70 billion in foreign exchange reserves to stabilize the market, but the rebound proved short-lived and quickly failed.
Takahashi brought with her a substantial “gift package” for India. According to a draft of the Japan-India Economic Security Cooperation Joint Declaration revealed by Kyodo News on June 26th, both sides will advance cooperation in five areas: semiconductors, critical minerals (including rare earths), information and communications technology, clean energy, and pharmaceuticals. The draft explicitly includes “opposition to economic coercion,” directly targeting China.
In the energy sector, Japan will support India in building 1,000 biogas plants through yen loans, utilizing rural waste such as cow dung, sugarcane bagasse, and straw to produce biogas. The goal is to create a market scale of 2.5 million biogas-powered vehicles. In the AI field, both nations will issue a joint statement, with Japan pledging to invite 500 high-skilled Indian professionals to Japan before 2030. The accompanying delegation numbers 150 people.
Why is Takahashi so submissive? The root lies in Japan’s dual dilemma. On one hand, Japan urgently seeks to “de-Chinize” its supply chains. After China strengthened export controls on key minerals like rare earths, the fragility of Japan’s industrial chain became glaringly apparent. India, with its abundant rare earth resources and massive market, is viewed by Japan as an ideal alternative.
On the other hand, Japan is being “reverse-extracted” by the United States. Over the past decades, the industrial support and market access privileges granted by the U.S. to Japan are now being reclaimed. With the yen plummeting and no U.S. intervention to prop up the currency, Japan is forced to seek new paths. A senior official from Japan’s Foreign Ministry bluntly stated: “For India, which has complex relations with China, joining forces with Japan is advantageous — it’s a win-win situation.”
Yet, behaving this obsequiously — actively shaking hands with a forced smile, and making such large-scale efforts to bring in Indian talent — Takahashi Asahi will surely regret this one day.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1869566078081100/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.