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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's ongoing visit to Japan is being keenly watched by Chinese analysts for any strategic signals that Tokyo along with the United States may rope-in New Delhi to 'contain' Beijing's rise as a major power.
Though economic and trade co-operation are on the main agenda of Dr Singh's Japan tour, issues relating to China's development will also be included in their strategic considerations, China Daily said on Friday.
Dr Singh's visit to Japan took place amidst wide-ranging media speculation that India and Japan, both neighbours of China, are trying to join hands to 'balance the mounting influence of China' in Asia, the official newspaper said.
In the years since the Cold War wound down, economic relations between India and Japan have developed rapidly, and both sides hope to expand bilateral trade and business, Deputy Director of the Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Prof Sun Shihai said.
Japan's development aid to the South Asian country has been increasing, with a view to exploring the vast Indian market, Sun said, adding that in turn, India is seeking capital and technology from Japan.
"There is no doubt that India and Japan are increasingly concerned about China's growth in the region, but you can't simply say that the two countries are trying to work together to contain China," Sun said.
"India, which has a strategic partnership with China aimed at peace and common prosperity, is not willing to send a signal that its alliance with Japan threatens Beijing," he said.
When Chinese President Hu Jintao visited India last month, he agreed with Dr Singh that as the biggest developing countries in the world, relations between China and India are 'of global and strategic significance.'
The two countries agreed they are neither rivals nor competitors, but partners seeking mutual benefit and co-operation, a joint declaration signed by China and India during Hu's visit said.
On Tuesday, commenting on Dr Singh's visit to Japan, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said China, India and Japan should make a joint effort to promote regional stability and prosperity.
Qin said that the three countries have broad common interests in promoting development and realising prosperity in the region.
Meanwhile, Global Times, a newspaper run by the ruling Communist Party of China, in an article quoted a Japanese media report, which compared the investment environment in India and China.
The article said that Japan entered the Indian market later than US and China. Till now the volume of trade between Japan and India is only 1/30 of that between China and Japan.
China's relations with Japan, a close ally of the US, has been acrimonious in the recent past, especially during the tenure of former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi over the issue of Japanese atrocities in China during World War II.