Nuclear Exporting Japan

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed with Indian Premier Narendra Modi on conclusion of an atomic energy agreement on Saturday, which enabled Japan to export nuclear power plants to India. Abe seemed to make top sales representing nuclear businesses in Japan, which had been looking for clients outside nuclear devastated Japan. While Japan has been selling its uniqueness as only country suffered from nuclear bombs, it is a contradiction for Japan to export nuclear technology to a country that is out of nuclear regulation framework, Non-proliferation Treaty.

Negotiation over nuclear export started under the administration of Democratic Party of Japan in 2010. Abe succeeded the momentum, even after devastation in Fukushima caused by severe accident in First Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. While Japanese government has been requiring a provision in Japanese-Indian agreement that determines suspension of cooperation when India restarts nuclear test.

There is no guarantee in Abe-Modi agreement to restrict Indian nuclear development. Joint Statement of them reconfirmed that the agreement would be signed after technological details are determined. “We have reached an agreement for peaceful use of atomic energy cooperation between Japan and India,” told Abe to the reporters in New Delhi. A Japanese official revealed that Abe told Modi to stop cooperation, if India would resume nuclear test.

There are some reasons for Japan to maintain good relationship with India. In the situation of competition with China in both terms of international politics and economy, India can be an alternative to offset sober relationship with China. There has been a basic notion that India may work for geopolitical containment of emerging China. Considering negative sentiment of the Indians against nuclear development of China, nuclear India may be a sort of deterrence against nuclear China.

Indian market has great potential. If Indian economy is revitalized with stable supply of electricity, it will become a major market for Japanese exporters. In the meeting with Modi, Abe reconfirmed that Indian high-speed train system in 300 miles between Mumbai and Ahmedabad would adopt Japanese bullet train technology. After suffering defeat in competition over Indonesian high-speed train system, Japanese government insisted on winning the deal in India.

Japan also expects India to join the framework of security cooperation in Asia. The joint statement noted democracy, human rights, rule of law or freedom of navigation, which were the keywords in dealing with Chinese advance to Pacific Ocean. Japanese government looked to be regarding India as always controllable, anyway.