Japan has conveyed its concern to Moscow over possible Russian plans to build a naval base on a western Pacific island chain, part of which is claimed by Tokyo. Tokyo’s action follows Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu’s comment last week that Russia would study the possibility of building a naval base on what it calls the Kuril islands.
| Russia is doing to Japan what Japan is doing to China... |
Japan claims a southern segment of the island chain, which was seized by Soviet troops at the end of the second world war. The territorial row has kept the two countries from signing a formal peace treaty since.
“We’ve informed the Russian side through a diplomatic channel that we are concerned about the comment by Defence Minister Shoigu,” the chief cabinet secretary, Yoshihide Suga, told a regular news conference. “We’ve also told them that if this led to the reinforcement of Russian military infrastructure on the Northern Territories, that would be incompatible with Japan’s stance and regrettable.”
Besides the potential construction of a naval base, Shoigu also said last week Russia would this year deploy some of its newest missile defence systems and drones on the Kuril islands. |