Japan's prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama, began three days of talks in India aiming to strengthen relations and increase trade between the two countries. Hatoyama, who took office in September after the long rule of the conservative Liberal Democratic Party, has seen a decline in his popularity to 50 percent. Japan and India have been working on improving their ties since Japan imposed sanctions on India following its nuclear tests in 1998. Hatoyama started his visit by meeting with Indian industrialists, including Ratan Tata and Mukesh Ambani, in Mumbai, where a terrorist attack took place in 2008. He is scheduled to have discussions with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh later on. India, which has been a major recipient of Japanese aid for a long time, is interested in learning more about Hatoyama's foreign policy. This includes Tokyo's efforts to have a more independent foreign policy from the United States and to strengthen relations with China, a historical rival of India. New Delhi is curious about where India fits into Hatoyama's proposed East Asian community with a single currency, similar to the European Union. According to Siddharth Varadarajan, a senior editor at The Hindu newspaper, Hatoyama is different from previous Japanese leaders that India has interacted with in the past decade. Varadarajan believes that Hatoyama's vision for an East Asian Community and his willingness to collaborate with China present an opportunity for India and Japan to enhance their bilateral relations in a more stable manner compared to relying solely on the 'balance of power' strategy, which sees Japan as a counterbalance to a growing China. Analysts believe that boosting trade is a key method of strengthening the partnership between Japan and India, which has been emphasized by their recent military cooperation and Japan's support for the U.S.-India civilian nuclear deal. India's foreign ministry spokesman, Vishnu Prakash, stated that the two countries are currently in discussions about a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), with twelve rounds of talks already completed. Japan is the sixth largest investor in India, and bilateral trade, which reached over $12 billion in 2008-09, is expected to increase to $20 billion by the following year. Hatoyama's discussions in India may also address climate change policies, as both countries have differing views on expanding Japanese support for renewable energy projects in India. Indian officials mentioned that talks will also cover Japan's proposal to provide training for former Taliban members as part of a $5 billion aid package for Afghanistan. India is hesitant about involving the Taliban in Kabul's power structures. Hatoyama's administration will aim to portray the visit as successful amid growing domestic criticism. Recently, he approved a record trillion-dollar budget, adding to Japan's already substantial debt as the government grapples with a sluggish economy. Japanese voters are increasingly questioning Hatoyama's capability to make difficult foreign policy choices, and the recent arrest of two former aides has led to demands for further clarification regarding a scandal involving inaccurate political funding records.