Flashpoints | Security | East Asia

Is China Getting Involved in the Japan-Russia Territorial Dispute? 

Amid deepening China-Russia ties, a Chinese delegation visited one of the disputed Southern Kuril Islands.

According to information released by the government of Russia’s Sakhalin Oblast on October 13, a delegation from China’s Heilongjiang Province, including government officials and entrepreneurs, recently visited Iturup Island (Etorofu in Japanese). The island is part of the Southern Kuril Islands, known as the Northern Territories in Japan, which are currently under Russian de facto control, though Japan claims sovereignty over them.

The Chinese group’s visit led to an immediate expression of dissatisfaction from Tokyo, with Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu declaring it “absolutely unacceptable.” In response, Beijing stated that it “consistently advocates for respecting and upholding the outcomes of the victory [of World War II].” A Japanese media outlet suggested that this reflects “a coordinated stance between China and Russia regarding the Northern Territories issue and a joint approach in dealing with Japan.”

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According to information released by the government of Russia’s Sakhalin Oblast on October 13, a delegation from China’s Heilongjiang Province, including government officials and entrepreneurs, recently visited Iturup........

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