Japan describes 4 disputed islands as “illegally occupied by Russia” within the newest model of a diplomatic report launched Friday, utilizing stronger language to explain the territorial feud than different current variations and underscoring the chilled relations between the 2 sides amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The outline within the 2022 Diplomatic Bluebook, an annual report on Japan’s international coverage issued by the Overseas Ministry, makes use of that phrasing for the primary time in almost 20 years. Japan is struggling to enhance ties with Russia to regain management of the islands, which Moscow calls the southern Kurils and Tokyo calls the Northern Territories.
“The Northern Territories are a gaggle of islands Japan has sovereignty over and an integral a part of Japan’s territory, however presently they're illegally occupied by Russia,” the ministry mentioned within the report.
The dispute over the Russian-held islands, which the Soviet Union seized from Japan on the finish of World Warfare II, has prevented Tokyo and Moscow from signing a peace treaty formally ending their wartime hostilities.
The report final used an identical expression in 2003 however had toned down its phrasing till final 12 months, when it described the dispute as “the best concern between Japan and Russia” and famous that “Japan has sovereignty” over the islands.
In one other territorial dispute, the ministry mentioned, the island that Japan calls Takeshima is “illegally occupied” by South Korea, which calls it Dokdo.
South Korea’s Overseas Ministry protested Japan’s “repeated inclusion of unjust sovereignty claims over Dokdo,” calling the island an integral a part of South Korean territory. It mentioned Tokyo’s repeated claims are by no means conducive to efforts to ascertain a future-oriented relationship between the 2 sides. Japan-South Korea ties have been additionally badly strained by historic points.
Japan has joined different Group of seven nations in imposing a collection of sanctions in opposition to Russia for its struggle on Ukraine. Tokyo is taking a larger position within the worldwide effort in opposition to Russia due to its considerations concerning the impression of the invasion in East Asia, the place China’s army has grown more and more assertive.
Japan has already confronted reprisals from Russia, which just lately introduced the suspension of talks on a peace treaty with Tokyo that included negotiations over the disputed islands.
Japan additionally seeks to bolster its protection functionality and funds as a part of a key revision to Japan’s nationwide safety technique anticipated later this 12 months.
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