Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, seeking to perform a balancing act between two Asian giants, invited his visiting Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, to a scenic resort near Mount Fuji for a luncheon Sunday, just a day after returning from talks with the leader of China — India's strategic and economic rival.
Abe and Modi were to hold a formal summit Monday in Tokyo, during which fortifying bilateral security and economic cooperation is expected to be high on the agenda.
Behind their strengthened commitment is China's rising political and economic clout.