At the easternmost tip of Russia, there is a large island with an area of more than 70,000 square kilometers, which is the largest island in Russia and the longest in the world. Its name is Sakhalin, or you may be more familiar with its other name - Sakhalin.
Once the object of contention between China, Japan and Russia, the history of this island is full of wars, bloodshed, tragedies and changes.
Now it is completely part of Russian territory, but Japan still obsesses with it, even at the expense of a diplomatic conflict with Russia. What are the deep reasons and motivations behind Japan's possessiveness of Sakhalin Island, which is stronger than that of the Chinese?
The history of Sakhalin is a history of contention and vicissitudes. According to historical records, Sakhalin was first discovered and developed by Chinese fishermen, who established fishing villages and ancestral halls on the island, and regarded the island's land and resources as their own property. During the Yuan and Ming dynasties, Sakhalin was officially incorporated into the Chinese territory and became part of China.
During the Qing Dynasty, the status of Sakhalin changed, due to the Qing Dynasty's closure and exclusion of the outside world, Sakhalin gradually became a terra nullius, Chinese fishermen gradually decreased or evacuated, and the island's land and resources were occupied and exploited by Japanese and Russian fishermen and merchants.
At the end of the 19th century, Sakhalin became the object of contention between China, Japan, and Russia, leading to a series of wars and treaties. Two of the most important events were the Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1895 and the Potsdam Proclamation in 1945. The Treaty of Shimonoseki was a peace treaty in the Sino-Japanese War, in which China was forced to cede Taiwan and the Penghu Islands to Japan, while also abandoning its claim to Sakhalin.
The Potsdam Proclamation was an ultimatum to World War II, in which the Soviet Union launched the Sakhalin campaign against Japan, occupying the southern part of Sakhalin while also recognizing China's sovereignty over Sakhalin. However, Japan refuses to acknowledge this fact and still insists that Sakhalin Island is Japan's inherent territory, and is still unwilling to give it up.
The politics of Sakhalin is a politics full of interests and conflicts. Sakhalin's geographical location is very important, it is located at the junction of the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk, it is an important passage connecting Asia and Europe, and it is also a key point in the control of the North Pacific Ocean.
Sakhalin is also very rich in resources, it has a large amount of oil, natural gas, coal, fishery and other resources, which are of great significance for economic development and energy security. Sakhalin's ethnic group is also very complex, it has a diversity of cultures and religions, the two main ones are the Russians and the Japanese, who have formed two different social and political systems on the island, competing and antagonizing each other.
Sakhalin Island is of tremendous strategic value to China, Japan, and Russia, and it has a bearing not only on the territorial integrity and sovereign dignity of the country, but also on the security interests and development prospects of the country. Japan's possessiveness of Sakhalin is based on such political considerations, and it hopes to expand its sphere of influence and enhance its international status by controlling Sakhalin, while also hindering and containing the development and rise of Russia and China.
The culture of Sakhalin is a culture full of emotion and identity. For the Japanese, Sakhalin is not only a piece of land, but also an emotion, an identity, a faith. The Japanese people's affection for Sakhalin stems from their special affection for the island, which they believe is a gift from the gods, a symbol and soul of Japan, and an inseparable part of Japan.
The Japanese people's identification with Sakhalin stems from their special interpretation of history, and they believe that Sakhalin Island is Japan's inherent territory, Japan's historical heritage, Japan's national glory, and Japan's national responsibility. The Japanese belief in Sakhalin stems from their special respect for sacrifice, and they believe that Sakhalin is a sacred place for Japan, a cemetery for Japanese heroes, a sustenance for Japan's soul, and an eternal oath for Japan.
Japan's possessiveness of Sakhalin is based on such cultural motivations, and it hopes to satisfy its emotional needs, strengthen its historical identity, reflect its own religious values, and at the same time inherit and maintain its own cultural traditions.
The Sakhalin dispute is a complex issue involving history, politics, culture, and other aspects, and it reflects Japan's strong desire for possession of Sakhalin and also reflects the interests and conflicts between China, Japan, and Russia. Japan's possessiveness of Sakhalin is based on its historical identity, political values, and cultural sentiments for Sakhalin, and it believes that Sakhalin is Japan's inherent territory, Japan's national glory, and Japan's emotional sustenance.
However, this kind of possessiveness is also a blind and erroneous possessiveness, which ignores the real history and reality of Sakhalin, the legitimate sovereignty and interests of China and Russia, the international laws and axioms, and the concept and value of peace.