Japan protests Russia's shooting exercises in the Northern Territories
On the press conference on May 14, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshifumi Yamada stated that Russia had notified about conducting shooting exercises around the surrounding waters of the Northern Four Islands, and the Japanese government had lodged a protest through diplomatic channels. He pointed out: "Russia's military reinforcement activities in the Northern Four Islands are contrary to our country's position and cannot be accepted."
At the press conference on May 14, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yamada revealed that the Russian waterway authorities notified on May 10 that shooting exercises would be conducted in the sea areas including the northern territorial waters of the Colorful Island from May 15 to June 15. In response, the Japanese government protested, stating that "Russia's military reinforcement in the Northern Four Islands violates Japan's position on the Northern Four Islands issue and cannot be accepted."
According to Mr. Yoshifumi Yamada's statement, Russian authorities notified on May 1 that the right of "innocent passage" for foreign warships and public service vessels in the surrounding waters of the Northern Territories would be suspended until midnight on May 17. The Japanese government protested to the Russian side on May 1, but Russian authorities still issued a navigation warning on May 10, announcing that shooting exercises would be conducted in the sea areas including the northern Japanese territorial waters of the Colorful Island from May 15 to June 15.
According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, as long as it does not harm the security of the coastal state, foreign ships have the right to free navigation within the territorial waters of the coastal state and enjoy the right of "innocent passage." The coastal state can temporarily suspend this right for national security considerations. However, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry, the Russian side did not provide any specific reasons for suspending innocent passage.
Russia also notified in April that it would conduct shooting exercises in the surrounding waters of the Northern Territories, and at that time, the Japanese government also protested.
Mr. Yoshifumi Yamada stated: "The government will continue to closely monitor the situation and respond appropriately."
The Japanese authorities believe that on August 9, 1945, the end of World War II, the Soviet Union violated the still valid Japan-Soviet Neutrality Treaty and joined the war against Japan. From August 28 to September 5 of the same year, after Japan accepted the Potsdam Declaration, the Soviet Union occupied all the territories of the Northern Four Islands. At that time, there were no Soviet residents in the Northern Four Islands, while there were 17,000 Japanese residents. However, the Soviet Union unilaterally "included" the four islands into its own territory range in 1946 and forcibly expelled all Japanese residents by 1949. Since then, without any basis in international law, the Soviet Union (Russia) has continued to occupy the region until now.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1832180068927707/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.