CHINA AND RUSSIA ARE BOTH AGAINST THE JAPANESE AND US EXPANSION OF THEIR SECURITY ALLIANCE
(Kanwa news Feb 25) The Russian Foreign Minister Ivanov emphasized at the Russian Embassy in Tokyo in Feb 21st, his position against the US and Japanese effort to expand the coverage of the Japan-US security alliance. He claimed that any alliance or group should be exclusively of defensive nature and should not be directed against any third country. In addition, Ivanov also criticized the TMD, which is now under cooperative development by Japan and the USA. The above position and attitude of Russia are totally close to those of China. This indicates the arrival of the time when these two countries have joined forces to oppose the TMD and the Japan-US security alliance.

There has been no change in Russia's attitude of opposition to the TMD and to the US and Japanese effort to expand the coverage of the Japan-US security alliance. Compared with China, however, Russia has always made a relatively mild criticism instead of an aggressive one. The first reason is that the Taiwan issue is a very sensitive one to China. In the meantime, as F.Malichev, the former Chief of Taiwan Affairs Division of the Russian Foreign Ministry indicated to the KWIC reporter, Russia feels that fundamental changes have taken place in the nature of the Japan-US security alliance since the end of the Cold War. In the Far East, this alliance is more directed against North Korea and China. The above criticism of Ivaniv is the first one that has clearly reflected the Russian attitude since 1997.

Despite Russia's criticism and the disturbance of the territorial issue to the Japan-Russian relationship, the two countries will still become closer and "the Three Principles of Hashmoto" that has the guideline of "mutual trust, mutual benefit, and long-term development" will be carried out in the bilateral relationship. This is all because Japan believes that the healthy development of the Japan-Russian relationship is conducive to containing China. In 1998, the Japanese National Defence Department even sent the pilots of its Self-defence Airforce to Russia to learn the flying skills for the SU27 now used by the Chinese airforce. For Russia, on the other hand, it also requires the cooperation from Japan in its effort to develop the Far East, to promote its Asian/Pacific multilateral security system, and to check the Chinese influence. Therefore, Russia supports Japan's effort to become the permanent member of the UN Security Council.

The triangular relationship between Japan, Russian, and China has been very complicated in history. Sometimes, Japan and China join forces to oppose "hegemonism" but sometimes, China and Russia form an alliance to fight against "the revival of militarism". Even today, this triangular relationship does not develop in an even way. However, the factor that may contribute to the repetition of confrontation against one another has now been ruled out (Satoko Tomiyama).