New Delhi wants the first Shinkansen destined for abroad
During a visit in August, India and Japan will ink the deal for the E10 series of high-speed trains. But investments in semiconductors and strategic cooperation are also on the agenda ahead of the Quad summit next fall.
Tokyo (AsiaNews) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay an official visit to Japan at the end of August to conclude an agreement that will see the introduction of the latest model of the Shinkansen high-speed train, still under development, in India.
This would be the first foreign contract for the train, this according to diplomatic sources cited by the Japanese newspaper Asahi.
The new train of the East Japan Railway, part of the E10 series, is expected to enter commercial service in Japan in 2030. But India will be the first foreign country to receive it at the same time as Japan.
This is part of the bilateral cooperation between Tokyo and New Delhi, which formally began in 2015 with an initial agreement on the transfer of railway technology for the Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed line.
Initially, the E5 series, which is currently running on the Tohoku line, was to be exported, but in March 2024, JR East announced the development of the new generation, immediately starting negotiations with its Indian counterpart to update the agreement.
During the August visit, Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will visit the production plant in Miyagi Prefecture, where the prototype of the E10 series is being developed.
The trip will also be an opportunity to take stock of the 5 trillion yen (US$ 34.2 billion) plan for Japan to invest in India, announced in 2022 by former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
In addition to the railway, the two leaders will discuss the construction of a shared supply chain for semiconductors and strategic products, very important given the current global context, marked by strong technological competition with China.
The meeting is also part of a busy schedule of reciprocal visits. In the fall, India will host the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) summit, the venue for strategic talks that brings together India, Japan, Australia, and the United States. Prime Minister Ishiba is set to participate.
According to diplomatic sources, after Japan, Modi could go to China for the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which also includes Russia and Pakistan.
But the trip to Tokyo before Beijing is seen as a signal to Japan, to boost trust between the two countries at a time of growing tensions in Asia.
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17/04/2023 13:47
