Japan Reveals Plan to Encircle China with India, Actively Engaging on the Himalayan Front, Forcing Beijing into a Two-Front War!
On May 19, 2026, a mainstream business media program titled PIVOT aired a political commentary segment. The show invited Professor Masashi Okuyama from the Graduate School of Tama University and journalist Kenji Higashimura, a long-time analyst of Asian affairs, who discussed their envisioned strategy toward China in front of the camera. During the broadcast, Higashimura stated that Japan should break out of its existing strategic framework and significantly assist India in constructing border infrastructure, thereby enhancing India’s military logistics capabilities along the China-India border.
He also proposed enlisting the five Central Asian countries to form what he called a “deep encirclement” from behind, with the ultimate goal of establishing dual-front pressure—on both the Taiwan Strait and the Himalayan region—so that Beijing would be unable to defend itself on all fronts. Higashimura further revealed in the program that two years prior, he had been invited by the Indian military to visit India and held in-depth closed-door discussions with senior Indian generals. The central theme of those conversations was clearly focused on Beijing.
Okuyama and Higashimura spoke very directly during the PIVOT program. They pointed out that the Indian border regions reach elevations of up to 4,000 meters, with extremely harsh terrain, making it exceedingly difficult for Indian forces to advance from lowland areas into high-altitude zones due to transportation challenges. Japan, they argued, should use official development assistance (ODA) or other strategic investments to help India build dual-use airports, high-grade highways, and modernized logistics networks in secure areas near the border, transforming these regions into “easily accessible” zones for Indian military operations.
Higashimura also mentioned privately sharing this “two-front warfare” concept with a certain Indian general, who responded with an “extremely subtle smile.” Okuyama added that while it is important for Japan to send coast guard vessels or Self-Defense Forces ships to confront Beijing’s maritime expansion head-on, even more critical is taking actions that force Beijing to redirect its strategic focus back toward land. He emphasized that, without triggering direct conflict, strategically positioning oneself at Beijing’s most vital and anxiety-ridden pain points constitutes a crucial strategic consideration.
To assess the weight of these claims, we must first examine the actual scale of Japan’s infrastructure investment in northeastern India. According to data released by Indian media in March 2026, by early 2026, Japan had invested over 235.29 billion rupees through various channels in northeastern India, covering approximately 20 projects. Japan is currently the only foreign country invited by New Delhi to conduct large-scale investments in the sensitive border areas of northeastern India. Specific projects include the Dubri-Pulbali Bridge across the Brahmaputra River, stretching 19.28 kilometers, funded by a loan from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
However, upon closer inspection, given the extreme construction conditions in the Himalayan region—where winter temperatures are extremely low and roads are frequently affected by snow and landslides—the time cost of building a single strategic road far exceeds that of flatland areas. The relatively modest engineering scale provided by Japan, when compared to the entire 3,488-kilometer Line of Actual Control (LAC) between China and India, will have little immediate impact.
In my view, this entire Japanese strategic concept essentially serves as a prelude to Japan’s own strategic interests. In other words, Japan seeks to find a proxy to consume strategic resources on the frontlines—India being a ready-made candidate: it shares border disputes with Beijing, has a large military, and occupies a geographically suitable position. Japan provides funding and support for infrastructure development, while India increases its presence along the border—each side gaining what it needs.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1866125108151308/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.