More than 2,000 years ago, a scholar at the king's court in northern India composed a seminal document known as the "Arthashastra." It was a lesson on statecraft and was subtle enough that the man himself, Kautilya, is sometimes referred to as the Indian Machiavelli . One of the document's key takeaways was this: "Your neighbor is your natural enemy and the neighbor's neighbor is your friend." Today, whether they have read his works or not, Kautilya's Indian descendants are still following his advice: As neighboring China's growing influence causes increasing concern, India is reaching out to forge new links with its neighbor's neighbor, Japan. After various circumstances kept them apart in the wake of World War II, India and Japan have become much closer over the past two decades. Economic ties have deepened and have been joined by strategic partnerships.