What's going on?The territorial dispute between Russia and Japan has turned out to be resolved?Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov actually said that?Of course, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi quit and immediately expressed his strong **. What's going on?Why is this happening?What impact does this have on Japan?Let's take a look.
I. Causes of Territorial Disputes
The focal point of the Russian-Japanese territorial dispute is the South Kuril Islands, which Japan calls the four northern islands. The four islands are Kunashir, Seto, Shikotan and Hamai, with a total area of about 5,000 square kilometers, located between Hokkaido, Japan, and the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia.
The four islands belonged to Japan until the end of World War II, but in August 1945, Soviet troops took advantage of Japan's surrender and launched a surprise attack and occupied the entire South Kuril Islands. thisSince then, the Soviet Union (later Russia) has maintained de facto control over the islands, while Japan has been demanding their return.
Progress in the territorial dispute
In order to resolve the territorial dispute, Japan and Russia have held many negotiations, but no substantial progress has been made.
In September 2018, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo agreed to speed up negotiations on a peace treaty based on the 1956 Japan-Soviet Joint Declaration. The Japan-Soviet Joint Declaration stipulated that after the signing of the peace treaty, the Soviet Union would transfer Shikotan and Hamai islands to Japan. This statement is regarded as a major breakthrough in Japan-Russia relations, and has aroused high expectations among the Japanese people.
However, this progress was soon frustrated. The Russian side stressed that the transfer of the islands was premised on Japan's recognition that the islands were legally acquired by the Soviet Union in World War II and that the United States could not be allowed to deploy military facilities on the islands. Japan, for its part, insisted that the islands were illegally occupied by the Soviet Union and that any conditions restricting the alliance between Japan and the United States could not be accepted. The two sides did not make concessions to each other on these key issues, leading to an impasse in the negotiations.
In June 2019, ** and Putin met in Osaka, and the two sides agreed to continue the negotiations, but did not propose any new proposals. In December of the same year, the foreign ministers of the two countries held talks in Moscow, but no breakthrough was made. After that, the dialogue between the two sides on the territorial issue almost came to a standstill, until March of this year, when Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov suddenly announced a shocking news in an interview with **.
3. The outbreak of territorial disputes
On March 21, in an interview with the Russian newspaper Izvestia, Lavrov said that the Russian-Japanese territorial dispute had been resolved and that there were no disputed territorial issues. him"This problem was solved at the end of World War II," he said. According to international law at that time, the islands became part of the USSR and are now part of Russia. We do not intend to discuss any cession of territory. ”
Lavrov's statement provoked a strong reaction from Japan. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a news conference on the same day that the Japanese side "extremely regrets" over this and stressed that Japan's position has not changed, that is, "the four northern islands are Japan's inherent territory and there is no dispute."
The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also urgently summoned the Russian ambassador to Japan, Galuzin, and presented him with a formal **. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said in an interview that Lavrov's remarks were "completely contrary to the consensus reached by the leaders of Japan and Russia" and were "unacceptable". He also said that the Japanese side will continue to maintain communication with the Russian side and promote the negotiation process.
Impact of territorial disputes
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's remarks are undoubtedly a heavy blow to Japan and a serious provocation to Japan-Russia relations. This suggests that Russia has abandoned the possibility of any compromise and concessions with Japan and no longer attaches importance to the goal of concluding a peace treaty. Russia's hardline attitude has made Japan's diplomatic efforts come to naught, and the expectations of the Japanese people have been disappointed.
This is undoubtedly a huge blow and challenge to Japan. Japan has always regarded the settlement of territorial issues and the conclusion of peace treaties as the top priority of its policy toward Russia, and has always pinned its hopes on establishing relations of mutual trust and cooperation with Russia in order to balance China's influence in East Asia. However, Russia's hardline stance has made these goals elusive, and has weakened Japan's position and influence in regional affairs.
How should Japan respond in this situation?We can find some inspiration from the views of China's most popular netizens. According to the Global Times, Chinese netizens expressed appreciation and support for Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's remarks, believing that Russia is defending its legitimate rights and interests, and is also fighting back against Japan's arrogance and unreasonableness. Chinese netizens also criticized Japan's territorial ambitions and double standards, pointing out that Japan's tough attitude towards China on the Diaoyu Islands issue contrasts sharply with its weak posture towards Russia on the South Kuril Islands issue. Chinese netizens also suggested that Japan should give up its senseless entanglement with the South Kuril Islands, coexist peacefully with Russia, respect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and stop stirring up incidents on the Diaoyu Islands issue, otherwise it will only reap its own consequences and be countered by China and Russia.
From the point of view of Chinese netizens, we can see that Japan's predicament on the territorial issue is not only due to Russia's tough attitude, but also due to Japan's own erroneous policies and behavior. If Japan wants to resolve its territorial issue, it must face history squarely, admit its mistakes, abandon illusions, and establish mutual trust and friendly relations with its neighbors, instead of blindly relying on the United States, sowing discord and creating contradictions, otherwise it will only plunge itself into deeper isolation and crisis.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's remarks are a warning to Japan and a test for Japan. Whether Japan can learn from this experience, adjust its policies, improve its relations, or continue to be stubborn and confront the world will determine Japan's future and destiny. We'll see.