Foreign Affairs
In Their War of Words with Japan, China and Russia Look Back to WWII
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China and Russia are aligning their propaganda against Japan by invoking World War II narratives, despite differing historical accounts. Russia unveiled a monument in Khabarovsk depicting a Soviet soldier crushing a Japanese symbol, prompting Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi to demand its removal as unacceptable. Tensions escalated after President Vladimir Putin visited the disputed Iturup island and conducted missile exercises nearby. Meanwhile, Chinese representatives in Taipei screened a 1945 documentary highlighting Japanese atrocities to support claims of renewed Japanese militarism. Beijing cited the US Typhon missile system in Japan as evidence of accelerated militarization, while Tokyo argues its defense buildup is necessary due to threats from China, North Korea, and Russia. Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi rejected accusations of new militarism, contrasting Japan’s lack of nuclear weapons with China’s arsenal.
Ozetta summarises; the reporting is the newsroom's