Russia And Japan Tense Over Peace Treaty Negotiations, China Expects Both To Improve Relations

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin. (Twitter/@MFA_China)

JAKARTA - Chinese authorities have noticed deteriorating Russia-Japan relations and look forward to the normalization of contacts between Moscow and Tokyo, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin stated on Tuesday.

"We have taken note of this information (about the deteriorating relations between Russia and Japan). China hopes that Moscow and Tokyo will successfully resolve the relevant issues," he told a briefing, quoted from TASS, March 23.

However, the Chinese diplomat did not say what steps Beijing expected from the two sides.

As previously reported, Moscow is ending peace treaty talks with Tokyo, in light of Japan's newly introduced unilateral restrictions on Russia over the situation in Ukraine, Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

Russia and Japan are known to have had disputes regarding the Kuril Islands which were taken by the Soviet Union after the end of the Second World War, in the invasions on August 18 and September 3, 1945. The problems of the two countries regarding these islands and the Sakhalin Islands, began to be discussed, although not directly since the Shimoda Treaty of 1855.

"In view of the unfriendly nature of Japan's unilateral restrictions on Russia on the situation in Ukraine, the following steps should be taken. In the current situation the Russian side has no intention of continuing peace treaty talks with Japan," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

On Tuesday, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called Moscow's decision to stop negotiating a peace treaty with Tokyo "unacceptable".

"This whole situation has been created by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russia's reaction to pushing these (sanctions) into Japan-Russia relations is very unfair and totally unacceptable," he stressed, adding Japan's stance in seeking a peace treaty had not changed, protested the steps taken by Russia, as reported by Reuters.

"Japan must resolutely continue to sanction Russia in cooperation with the rest of the world," he stressed.

He also clarified that the Japanese government does not intend to revise the budget for fiscal year 2022 (starting April 1), which, in particular, provides for the development of economic cooperation with Russia, since these funds are aimed at supporting national enterprises.