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<JournalTitle>ELECTRONIC JOURNAL OF SOCIAL AND STRATEGIC STUDIES</JournalTitle>
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<EISSN/>
<Volume-Issue>Volume 6 Issue 1</Volume-Issue>
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<IssueTopic>Multidisciplinary</IssueTopic>
<IssueLanguage>English</IssueLanguage>
<Season>Apr-May 2025</Season>
<SpecialIssue>N</SpecialIssue>
<SupplementaryIssue>N</SupplementaryIssue>
<IssueOA>Y</IssueOA>
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<Year>2025</Year>
<Month>05</Month>
<Day>31</Day>
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<ArticleType>International Relations</ArticleType>
<ArticleTitle>From Aid to Alliance: The Role of Japan’s Aid Diplomacy in Shaping India-Japan Strategic Relations</ArticleTitle>
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<ArticleLanguage>English</ArticleLanguage>
<ArticleOA>Y</ArticleOA>
<FirstPage>6</FirstPage>
<LastPage>25</LastPage>
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<Author>
<FirstName>Gajula Sai</FirstName>
<LastName>Niranjan</LastName>
<AuthorLanguage>English</AuthorLanguage>
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<DOI>10.47362/EJSSS.2025.6101 </DOI>
<Abstract>This research paper analyses the role of Japan__ampersandsign#39;s Official Development Assistance (ODA) in shaping India-Japan strategic relations, highlighting the transition from aid diplomacy to a multifaceted alliance. Starting in the 1950s, Japan__ampersandsign#39;s ODA to India initiated bilateral ties, sustaining the relationship through the Cold War, when broader political engagement remained limited due to ideological divides and contrasting foreign policy priorities. However, the post-Cold War era witnessed a transformation in India-Japan relations. Japan__ampersandsign#39;s aid diplomacy evolved from a singular focus on financial assistance to a strategic partnership encompassing security, economic, and geopolitical alignment in the Indo-Pacific.
The paper examines the concept of aid diplomacy and its practical application in Japan’s foreign policy, positioning ODA as a tool for soft power and global influence. It further analyzes Japan’s aid to India, exploring how developmental assistance fostered long-term collaboration. The research emphasizes the strategic shift from ODA to Japanese investments, particularly in the context of regional connectivity projects in the Indo-Pacific. By investigating the role of aid in facilitating strategic convergence, the paper underscores how Japan’s aid diplomacy has evolved into a critical component of the broader Indo-Pacific security architecture, contributing to regional stability and promoting a free, open and well-connected Indo-Pacific region.</Abstract>
<AbstractLanguage>English</AbstractLanguage>
<Keywords>Aid diplomacy, ODA, India-Japan, Bilateral relations, Indo-Pacific</Keywords>
<URLs>
<Abstract>https://ejsss.net.in/ubijournal-v1copy/journals/abstract.php?article_id=15746&title=From Aid to Alliance: The Role of Japan’s Aid Diplomacy in Shaping India-Japan Strategic Relations</Abstract>
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<References>
<ReferencesarticleTitle>References</ReferencesarticleTitle>
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<ReferenceslastPage>19</ReferenceslastPage>
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