'India indispensable': Japan PM hails India as two nations unveil Indo-Pacific plan to counter China

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida, unveiled the crucial Indo-Pacific plan during the talks in New Delhi. The new India-Japan plan announced for a free and open Indo-Pacific is aimed at countering China's growing influence in the region. China's territorial claims are a common challenge for both India and Japan. The Japanese Prime Minister also formally invited PM Modi to the G7 summit in Hiroshima. The two leaders discussed the agendas of the G20 and G7 in detail. Remember, this bilateral was crucial because India and Japan are presidents of the G20 and G7, respectively, this year, as the world stands divided over the war in Ukraine. Notably, Japan and India are poles apart on Russia's stand amid war. While India has scaled back its trade with Russia, Japan pushes for more sanctions.