Foreword Northeast Asia has always been the center of international political conflicts, and even now, there are many unresolved international problems.
One of the most striking is the issue of sovereignty over the four northern islands. The islands of Seki, Kunashir, Hamai, and Shikotan, which are commonly referred to as the four northern islands, are currently under Russian control.
However, Japan's claims to sovereignty here have never stopped, so relations with Russia are becoming increasingly strained, the two sides are not making concessions to each other, and the trend of disputes seems to be getting worse.
The issue of China's sovereignty over the four northern islands has attracted international attention. As early as 2021, there was *** asked spokesman Zhao Lijian about this question at a press conference.
His answer made Japan feel uncomfortable, so let's take a look at what happened. To get to the bottom of this question, we must start with the origins of the dispute over the four northern islands.
Why did the four northern islands belong to Russia? This dates back to the time of Tsar Peter I, who led his army across the Ural Mountains and began to expand the territory of Tsarist Russia.
Territorial expansion seems to have been deeply imprinted in the DNA of Tsarist Russia, and every tsar saw territorial expansion as an important achievement. By the time of Catherine II, Tsarist Russia had become the world's only super-empire that spanned Europe, Asia and the United States.
However, by this time, Tsarist Russia had already expanded its continental territory to the limit, so it began to expand to the Kuril Islands, Sakhalin and other islands in the Northwest Pacific.
In Japan during the Edo period, the four northern islands were not near the center of the government, and although they belonged to Japan de jure, they were not effectively governed. Beginning in 1721, a Russian expedition of junior officers and soldiers successively landed on the Kuril Islands, a dozen islands, including Shikotan.
They were surprised to find that there were only the indigenous inhabitants of the primitive society, the Ezo people. The leaders of the expedition immediately reported to their superiors, declaring that they had discovered a new territory for the tsar.
As a result, Tsarist Russia forced the indigenous people to join the Russian nationality, and included all the Kuril Islands, including the four northern islands, on the map.
Although Japan was dissatisfied with the actions of Tsarist Russia, it did not dare to take substantial measures of resistance under the balance of strength at that time. The situation in Japan was chaotic, and the daimyo who controlled Hokkaido did not want to anger the powerful Tsarist Russia by fighting over these places, but he was unwilling to accept the loss of territory, so the two sides fell into a state of confrontation.
Finally, in 1855, in order to end the territorial dispute between Japan and Russia, the two sides signed the "Japan-Russia Peace Treaty", which made it clear in writing that the sovereignty of the Kuril Islands, including the four northern islands, belonged to Japan.
For Tsarist Russia, giving up the territory it had already occupied was undoubtedly a huge sacrifice, but because the four northern islands did not have much development value at that time, and Japan had always been obsessed with these places, Tsarist Russia chose to go with the flow and signed this treaty.
1.The historical schematic map of the national boundaries of the "Japan-Russia Peace and Friendship Treaty" is widely known. Japan has always been known for its "bushido spirit", and in the face of the powerful Tsarist Russia, they naturally want to make a fuss through war.
In 1905, the Russo-Japanese War broke out, and after decades of rise, Japan became a force to be reckoned with in the world at that time. In the end, the war ended in a Japanese victory, officially declaring that Japan had become one of the world powers.
2.In the Russo-Japanese War, although Japan acquired the territory of South Sakhalin, it also formed a feud with Tsarist Russia. At the end of World War II, especially after the surrender of Germany, Japan was exhausted, and the whole country was in turmoil.
In August 1945, the Soviet Union sent troops to Northeast China and wiped out one million Kwantung Army within a week.
During this period, during the Battle of the Kuril Islands, the Soviet Union simultaneously sent troops to the Kuril Islands and successfully occupied the four northern islands. In fact, this troop dispatch is a product of the great power game.
At the Yalta Conference, Stalin put forward one of the conditions for war against Japan that it was to directly occupy South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. In the process of the Soviet Union sending troops to occupy the Kuril Islands, the most unbearable thing for Japan was that after the surrender of its own country, the Soviet Union still did not stop attacking, which eventually led to the fall of the four northern islands.
Japan believed that since it had surrendered and sued for peace, the Allies should no longer occupy Japanese territory, and therefore raised a solemn redress for this behavior of the Soviet Union**. However, with the advent of the Cold War, the Soviet Union never let go, and the four northern islands were always in the hands of the Soviet Union.
Since then, Japan has embarked on a path that has lasted for more than 70 years to "retake the four northern islands."
Why does Japan insist on recovering sovereignty over the four northern islands? Since the end of World War II, the first thing a prime minister has done when he comes to power is to declare sovereignty over the four northern islands.
Even in the face of Russia, which is one of the world's top three militaries, Japan has never compromised. Why is that? The answer lies in Japan's own problems. The four northern islands have long been Japan's inherent territory, and the incompleteness of sovereignty is a great shame for any country.
As far as Japan is concerned, the four northern islands are the last line of defense for its sovereignty and are related to the dignity and image of the country, so it is naturally impossible for Japan to give up easily. At present, Japan's political status in the international community has not been high, and this is inseparable from its identity as a defeated country in World War II.
Therefore, Japan has always insisted on reclaiming its sovereignty over the four northern islands in order to demonstrate its independence and sovereignty.
After World War II, Japan's economy rose rapidly to become the world's second largest economy, but in terms of international political status, it fell far short of its economic status. This is precisely an important reason why Japan is actively getting rid of its image as a defeated country and enhancing its international status.
As a result, the sovereignty dispute over the four northern islands has become a political tool for Japanese politicians to assert their sovereignty and unite their citizens to achieve their political goals.
At the same time, the United States is also resolutely opposed to Japan giving up the four northern islands, because Japan is located at the choke point of the western Pacific Ocean, and its geographical location is of great importance to the United States' strategic deployment in Asia.
If Japan can follow the dictates of the United States, then the United States can let its hands go in this region and achieve its strategic goals.
The United States has always hoped to realize its strategic layout in the first island chain by supporting Japan. The issue of the four northern islands is seen as an important means for the United States to contain Russia, and the United States does not want this issue to be resolved, whether it is Japan or Russia.
If Japan succeeds in reclaiming sovereignty over the four northern islands, it could be taken out of the hands of the United States, and may even lead Japan to resolve the Dokdo dispute with South Korea, which will have a major impact on the strategic layout of the United States.
On the contrary, if Russia finally gains sovereignty over the four northern islands, then the US strategic system in Northeast Asia may face a total collapse.
The United States expects Japan to firmly assert sovereignty over the four northern islands, but at the same time refrain from aggressive military action. The two sides maintain a delicate tug-of-war to drain Russia's resources and strength.
Therefore, every time Japan makes a statement on the issue of the four northern islands, the United States will flock to Japan to create momentum in the international arena. However, reality did not allow Japan to abandon the four northern islands.
When the four northern islands were occupied by Tsarist Russia, they were still a barren land, with a cold climate and poor resources. Japan sees it as a mere periphery of its territory.
In modern society, the demand for resources has become a common phenomenon. Russia has discovered abundant resources near the four northern islands, including biological resources, more than a billion tons of oil, and mineral resources necessary for modern industry, such as titanium and iron.
This has led to a sharp increase in the value of the four northern islands. Japan is a narrow and impoverished island country, with a dependence of more than 90% on foreign countries, especially oil, iron and various mineral resources.
If the four northern islands come under the possession of Japan, then it will become an important strategic reserve for Japan to cope with difficult situations in the future. Even if Japan's dependence on foreign countries is reduced in the short term, there will be more room for international politics, military, and diplomacy.
The four northern islands are adjacent to Hokkaido, Japan, and control the entrance to the Sea of Okhotsk, making them strategically important. At present, it is inhabited almost exclusively by Russian servicemen and their families, which poses a serious challenge to Japan's defense security, since Japan is no match for Russia even in terms of military power.
To sum up, it is impossible for Japan to give up its territorial sovereignty claims over the four northern islands, both historically and realistically. Similarly, it is unlikely that Russia will return the four northern islands to Japan.
In the history of the Soviet Union, out of consideration of national interests, the Soviet Union negotiated with Japan on the issue of the return of sovereignty over the four northern islands. In the 1956 Soviet-Japanese Joint Declaration, the Soviet Union planned to return sovereignty over the smaller of the four northern islands, the Hamai Islands and Shikotan Islands, to Japan.
New copy: Japan has been insisting on taking back the four northern islands at once, but no agreement can be reached due to the breakdown of negotiations. On the eve of the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Mikhail Gorbachev proposed a $200 billion loan in exchange for sovereignty over the four northern islands, but Japan also rejected it.
When Putin became Russia's leader, Japan has not been able to take advantage of this issue. After former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga came to power, he once again declared sovereignty over the issue of the ownership of the four northern islands.
This time, Japan's response was met with a response from Russia, which said that Japan was welcome to invest in the four northern islands and develop them together, which embarrassed Japan. Because if Japan responds to invest, it means that it recognizes Russia's sovereignty over the four northern islands; But if you don't invest, it is tantamount to giving up the four northern islands.
Regardless of how it responds, Japan is in a position to lose. In the end, the matter was settled, but Japan's claim to the four northern islands remained unchanged. At a time of tension between Japan and Russia, Putin landed on the four northern islands many times and personally flew fighter jets over the islands.
During a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo, Putin famously said: "Although the territory of Russia is vast, not an inch is superfluous. There is no room for negotiation on the territorial issue, only war! ”
Japan and Russia have clashed many times in recent years over the sovereignty of the four northern islands, with Russia usually in an advantageous position. To this end, Japan began to look for allies in Northeast Asia, and even tried to pull China into the water.
So, how is China reacting to this? China's attitude makes Japan deeply troubled In 2021, Russian Prime Minister Mishustin visited the four northern islands, which triggered a strong ** from the Japanese government and the opposition.
Following Mishustin's in-depth inspection of the four northern islands, the relevant Japanese side met with the Russian ambassador to Japan and said that "there will be no retreat or compromise." After that, the Russian press secretary openly stated in **: "It is a legitimate right for the Russian leader to visit the four northern islands, and Japan has no right to interfere." ”
The dispute over the four northern islands has aroused international concern in Northeast Asia, and China has been asked about its position. Zhao Lijian responded at a regular press conference: "This is a territorial dispute between Japan and Russia, which should be resolved by both sides themselves."
However, we have always stressed the need to respect and abide by the victorious results of the World Anti-Fascist War. This sentence hit Japan in the sore spot and successfully avoided the Chinese side from getting involved.
The entire response reflects China's consistent diplomatic stance: advocating a peaceful settlement of disputes, while emphasizing respect for history and the fruits of victory.
Japan's defeat in World War II brought profound disasters and losses to countries in East and Southeast Asia, but until now, Japan has not reflected enough on its past mistakes.
China urges Japan to keep history in mind, put itself in the right position, and avoid going further down the wrong path. At the same time, we hope that Japan will respect history, face its mistakes, and take responsibility for its mistakes.
Only in this way will it be possible to lay the foundation for common development.