China's Foreign Ministry Responds on Chinese Delegation's South Kuril Visit: A Sister-Province Exchange, No Comment on Private Business
At the regular press conference of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on October 14, a Japanese journalist asked about Russia's announcement that a delegation from China's Heilongjiang Province had visited islands disputed between Russia and Japan, and sought China's comment. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the Heilongjiang delegation had recently visited Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, capital of Russia's Sakhalin Region — a sister province of Heilongjiang — for friendly exchanges, and that she had no comment on the commercial activities of private enterprises during the visit. Asked about Japan's remarks, Mao said China consistently holds that the outcomes of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War should be respected and upheld.
According to a release by the Sakhalin regional government's press service on October 13, a Chinese business delegation visited Iturup Island in the South Kurils (called Etorofu by Japan) to examine investment potential and cooperation possibilities, expressing interest in sea urchin and sea cucumber farming and hotel development. Russian media said it was the first visit by a Chinese business delegation to the island.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on October 14 that the visit was 'absolutely unacceptable' and that Japan had made representations to both Russia and China. Sovereignty over the South Kuril Islands — Japan's 'Northern Territories' — has long been disputed between Russia and Japan, and the Japanese government maintains that third countries should not enter the area under Russian procedures or invest there.
Heilongjiang and Sakhalin are sister provinces whose economic, trade and cultural exchanges have continued for years.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：南千岛群岛伊图鲁普岛卫星图。照片：美国国家航空航天局 MODIS 快速响应项目，公有领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。Photo: Satellite view of Iturup Island in the South Kurils. MODIS Rapid Response Project at NASA/GSFC, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
