Shikotan Island within the Southern Kuril Islands, often called the Northern Territories in Japan, July 24, 2025. /CFP
Editor’s word:Â Cao Cong, a particular commentator for CGTN, is a doctoral candidate on the School of Global and Regional Studies, University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The article displays the writer’s opinions and never essentially the views of CGTN.
The Southern Kuril Islands, recognized in Japan because the Northern Territories, stay a long-standing disputed space between Japan and Russia, left unresolved after World War II (WWII). Fundamental variations over historic claims, postwar preparations and authorized interpretations have saved the territorial dispute unresolved for greater than 80 years, making it a persistent thorn in Japan-Russia relations.
Japan claims sovereignty over the chain of 4 islands, together with Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and the Habomai Islands, citing primarily the 1855 Treaty of Shimoda and the 1875 Treaty of St. Petersburg, which marked the preliminary peaceable border demarcations between imperial Russia and Japan. However, bilateral treaties concluded within the nineteenth century will not be resistant to the most important historic adjustments that adopted, nonetheless much less can they override the worldwide preparations established after WWII.
Japan’s defeat following its militarist aggression and the postwar worldwide order established in its aftermath present an necessary historic context for understanding the difficulty.
The 1943 Cairo Declaration, outlining the Allied anti-aggression coverage and territorial objectives for defeating Japan in WWII, said that Japan could be stripped of all islands within the Pacific that it had seized or occupied for the reason that starting of World War I. The 1945 Potsdam Proclamation, defining the phrases for Japan’s give up, stipulated that “the terms of the Cairo Declaration shall be carried out,” and outlined the boundaries of Japan’s postwar sovereignty.
In the Instrument of Surrender signed in September 1945, the Japanese authorities pledged to faithfully perform the provisions of the Potsdam Proclamation. These paperwork and commitments represent an necessary political and authorized basis upon which Japan was allowed to return to the worldwide group after ending its warfare of aggression and accepting the implications of defeat.
It must also be famous that the Yalta Agreement, concluded by the Soviet Union, the United States and the United Kingdom in February 1945 to debate the post-war reorganization of Europe and Germany, additionally instantly addressed the difficulty of the Kuril Islands, stipulating that they “shall be handed over to the Soviet Union.”
The Yankito Plateau within the Kuril archipelago in fall, September 30, 2025. /CFP
Following Japan’s give up, the Soviet Union took management of the islands, a territorial actuality that has continued to at the present time. Later completely different interpretations emerged over whether or not among the islands have been a part of the “Kuril Islands” and over the authorized impact of related paperwork.
Some right-wing forces in Japan are more and more incorporating the islands concern into their political narrative of “breaking away from the postwar regime.” They are inclined to selectively emphasize historic supplies favorable to Japan and promote the notion of the islands as Japan’s so-called inherent territory, whereas intentionally downplaying the profound influence that Japan’s warfare of aggression and eventual defeat had on the territorial order of the area.
The dangers posed by such a view of historical past lengthen far past Japan-Russia relations. Many territorial and maritime points within the Asia-Pacific have difficult historic backgrounds. If nations are allowed to pick out the historic level that finest serves their present-day political pursuits and arbitrarily problem the territorial preparations established after WWII, even comparatively secure regional boundaries and the political order might be drawn into recurring disputes.
For difficult historic and authorized disputes, the nations involved want to hunt options by peaceable session. The key’s that the negotiations should respect the essential historic info and should not be premised on denying the end result of WWII or reinterpreting the worldwide duties arising from Japan’s defeat.
Japan has lengthy emphasised the significance of sustaining a so-called rules-based worldwide order. If guidelines are to be revered, they shouldn’t be interpreted selectively in keeping with Japan’s personal pursuits. Emphasizing solely these historic paperwork that favor it whereas searching for to downplay or reinterpret postwar preparations that don’t help its territorial claims is a selective strategy that won’t win the belief of neighboring nations.
For greater than eight a long time for the reason that finish of WWII, an necessary basis for peace and improvement within the Asia-Pacific has been the respect for the end result of the warfare and the essential worldwide preparations established in its aftermath. Any try to make use of territorial disputes as a pretext to interrupt free from the constraints of the postwar system and advance historic revisionism and remilitarization is sure to jeopardize peace and stability within the Asia-Pacific.
(If you wish to contribute and have particular experience, please contact us at [email protected]. Follow @thouse_opinions on X to find the newest commentaries within the CGTN Opinion Section.)
Source: CGTN