Japan, India strike currency swap agreement

Japan and India have inked a $15 billion currency swap agreement, the Bank of Japan (BoJ) said on Tuesday, in the latest sign of cooperation between the Asian giants. The deal means the pair can swap each other's currency into US dollars with a maximum value of $15 billion through their central banks as a shield against short-term funding problems and excessive volatility on foreign exchange markets. The three-year pact expands a previous currency arrangement between the two countries that lasted from 2008 to 2011 with a maximum value of $3 billion. "The objective of this bilateral agreement is to address short-term liquidity problems," the BoJ said in a statement. Japan, which is embroiled in a territorial spat with China, has been ramping its business and military ties with India.