No go slow on Japan, says official

Dismissing reports that India had adopted a "go slow" policy on its relations with Japan in order "not to offend China", sources in the government said that the reports were "absolutely false".

"Such reports of going slow on Japan are completely untrue. In fact, we are trying to add content to our strategic relationship (with Japan). The reports of go slow are absolutely false," an official said on the condition of anonymity.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived here Monday on a three-day visit, which will see a bilateral summit with his Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe. Singh's Japan visit, incidentally, comes just a week after Chinese premier Li Keqiang made an official visit to New Delhi.

"Look at the significance of what we are trying to do (with Japan). The DMIC (Delhi-Mumbai Industrial corridor), the freight corridor and other projects. Our (strategic) relationship includes defence, hi-tech and other things to deepen our cooperation," the source said.

Claiming that there was no move to appease one country at the cost of another country, the source said: "We are not in this business of allowing one relationship to be held hostage to another relationship. It does not work this way at all."

Singh arrived here for the first leg of a five-day tour that will also take him to Thailand.

He is accompanied by National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon and other officials.

Civil nuclear cooperation talks will be high on the agenda, officials said.

Economic and regional and international issues will also figure high in the talks. Discussions on the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) and the high-speed train are likely to be held.

India is likely to seek Japanese investment in various projects, officials said.

The prime minister will also discuss energy cooperation, including on frozen seabed gas hydrates, a breakthrough in Japan that India is interested in.

The bilateral summit was originally slated to be held November last year but was postponed after Japan decided to go in for elections.