China is strongly invited to develop the four northern islands. The question is, does China dare?

The press secretary of the Japanese Foreign Minister stressed that Russia is an important partner of Japan in the Asia-Pacific region and the relationship between the two countries has great potential. Japan also welcomes and supports Russia to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Vladivostok next year. He revealed that during his visit to Russia, Maehara and Lavrov met separately and had lunch together, and the meeting time between the two sides exceeded 4 hours.

Russia welcomes China and other countries to develop and invest in the four northern islands, and will provide preferential treatment. Japan said it would protest. Russia also plans to strengthen its military forces near the four northern islands. Some analysts believe that this is a Russian signal to China. But in order to face the rise of China together, many interests between Russian and Japanese coincide.

Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara, who just finished his visit to Russia, said that if Russia invited China and other countries to invest in the four northern islands, it would only make the situation more complicated.

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said earlier that Russia welcomes China, South Korea and even Japan to make capital development and investment in the four northern islands. Russia can provide preferential treatment for these foreign capitals. In the Russian news media, it was also suggested that China immigrants from the Far East should be allowed to develop the four northern islands.

At a news conference in Moscow, the press secretary of the Japanese Foreign Minister said that if China and other countries were invited to develop the four northern islands, Japan would protest. He said that the development of the four northern islands by third countries should not be based on the premise of harming the interests of either Russia or Japan. The press secretary also said that Japan will also protest the Russian leader's visit to the four northern islands again. However, he did not specify what practical means Japan would use to retaliate and prevent Russia from taking these actions.

During Maehara's visit to Russia, the Russian military revealed that it would strengthen its military strength near the four northern islands, including the deployment of two northwest wind-class helicopter carriers purchased from France in this area. At the same time, Russia has built large airports in the four northern islands to facilitate the take-off and landing of the Il -76 transport aircraft, and plans to deploy more armed helicopters and more advanced air defense missiles in the four northern islands.

Russian strategic expert Rukyanov told the news media that strengthening the military strength of the four northern islands is also a signal sent by Russia to China. It shows that although Russia's national strength is not as good as before, it still has the ability and determination to defend its interests in the Asia-Pacific region in the face of the rise of China.

Lukjanov said that the signal sent to Japan is that Russia will not give up an inch of land on the territorial issue.

Observers say that there are still many similarities between Russian and Japanese interests in dealing with the rising neighbor China.