China Delegation Visits Russia-Held Island Claimed by Japan — SkimNews
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- China's Heilongjiang Province sent a delegation of officials and entrepreneurs to Iturup Island on October 13, marking a rare Chinese presence on the disputed Southern Kuril Islands under Russian control.
- Japan expressed immediate outrage, with Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu calling the visit 'absolutely unacceptable' due to Tokyo's sovereignty claim over the islands, known as the Northern Territories.
- China stated it 'consistently advocates for respecting and upholding the outcomes of the victory [of World War II],' a position some Japanese media interpret as aligning with Russia’s stance on the islands.
- Russia established a special economic zone on the Southern Kuril Islands in 2022 to boost development, and increased Chinese investment could strengthen Moscow’s de facto control while pressuring Japan.
- Chinese and Russian ambassadors to Japan co-authored an article in August 2026 affirming the importance of preserving WWII outcomes, a move seen as implying tacit Chinese recognition of the current territorial status quo.
- Beijing has not formally recognized Russian sovereignty over the islands, likely to preserve diplomatic flexibility with Japan and avoid full alignment with Moscow’s position.
Why it matters: Japan faces growing strategic pressure as China appears to leverage the Kuril dispute amid souring bilateral ties, particularly after recent Japanese parliamentary visits to Taiwan. With no improvement in sight in Japan’s relations with either China or Russia, the bilateral territorial issue risks becoming a trilateral geopolitical flashpoint.
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