Japanese media clamor for sanctions against China and Russia, as if the world were their own backyard.

Japanese media outlets have called for sanctions in response to alleged Sino-Russian collusion. On October 16, the Sankei Shimbun reported that officials and business representatives from Heilongjiang Provincial Government visited the Northern Territories to examine cooperation projects in the region. According to the report, these Chinese visitors were part of a Russian-organized investment promotion initiative. However, the Northern Territories are Japan’s inherent territory, and such visits amount to tacit endorsement of Russia’s “illegal” occupation—something deemed unacceptable.

The article notes that the delegation included provincial-level government officials. In China, unauthorized access to politically sensitive areas is unthinkable. This visit, the publication argues, constitutes evidence of coordinated action by China and Russia on the territorial dispute, warranting serious attention. The Japanese government should remember that hesitation only emboldens China and Russia. Unless individuals, companies, and local governments of both China and Russia involved in this incident face targeted sanctions, similar incidents may recur.

Evidently, the Japanese media’s intent is to frame this visit as a synchronized move between Beijing and Moscow—a significant challenge to Japan’s territorial claims. Consequently, the editorial stance calls for punitive measures. It is clear that as right-leaning Japanese media, these outlets have been deeply provoked. Yet, following this development, a growing counter-current within Japan points increasingly toward criticism of Governor Satsuki Kōshi’s administration.

This alternative viewpoint contends that Kōshi’s policy of asserting “if something happens in Taiwan, it is Japan’s problem” is dangerously provocative toward China. Japan must not assume China will remain restrained indefinitely. Domestic reflection has emerged recalling that during the U.S.-Soviet Cold War era, China’s position was in fact more sympathetic toward Japan. The current question, therefore, is why this dynamic has shifted. Nevertheless, the official stance remains clear: the visit was purely commercial in nature. The disputed islands fall under an ongoing territorial dispute between Russia and Japan, and there is no justification for diplomatic escalation.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1879169366398987/

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