India 2020 : As Indian and Chinese troops continue to be engaged in an eyeball-to-eyeball situation in the Galwan Valley, Indian and Japnese warships conducted exercises in the Indian Ocean on Saturday.
The Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force said that the exercises were conducted to “promote mutual understanding” and comprised of four warships, two from each India and Japan.
The Indian navy’s training vessels INS Rana and INS Kulish conducted a drill with Japan’s JS Kashima and JS Shimayuki. Just before this, the two Japanese ships had conducted a drill with American ships in the South China Sea.
Japanese Ambassador Satoshi Suzuki said that Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force conducted goodwill training with Indian Navy. “On 27th June, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force conducted goodwill training with Indian Navy in the Indian Ocean. #IndiaJapan,” the envoy tweeted.
Naval exercises between India and Japan are not new, but the development assumes significance as it comes against the backdrop of heightened tensions between India and China in Ladakh.
The Indian and Chinese armies are engaged in a tense standoff in several locations in eastern Ladakh and the tension increased manifold after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent clash in Galwan Valley on June 15.
