China, Japan revive trade ties as India fades

India does not provide an opportunity comparable to China's 'Made in China 2025' initiative

Amidst the frenzy of the US-China trade war, an important development has escaped attention. There is a perceptible thaw in the hitherto strained political relations between Japan and China and a parallel revival in their trade and economic relations. The visit of Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang to Japan in May 2018 was a breakthrough and this was followed by Japanese Prime Minister’s trip to China in October 2018, the first by a Japanese Prime Minister in 11 years. The two sides have begun to improve their strained relations in response to the unpredictability created by the US under Trump