India and Japan's recent summit in Delhi has sparked concern in Beijing. Agreements on defense, critical minerals, and AI signal a strategic shift, prompting China to caution against "exclusive small groupings." The summit's focus on economic security, diversified supply chains, and defense co-development, particularly the UNICORN project, directly challenges China's economic and strategic leverage. This collaboration, alongside renewed Quad support, signals a growing regional architecture aimed at balancing China's influence.

Japan Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will visit India during July 1-3 with a delegation of more than 100 businesspeople for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi | India News

The India-Japan summit on Thursday is likely to see a dozen agreements for cooperation in a range of areas including energy resilience, critical minerals and AI, apart from close…