British "Times" Web site on October 4 article in question: The Japanese worry about China-Russia axis (Richard Lloyd Parry, a reporter from the bottom of Tokyo)

It is now wonder I wonder if this is not to open a small joke Dmitry. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's visit to China late last month, Russian officials announced that he was going to visit the disputed Kuril Islands.

At first glance, this should be nothing unusual - because he was going to this place is under the control of Russia, has a very strategic significance to mushroom, and the Russian President had never boarded the archipelago. However, Medvedev is to visit the South Kuril Islands - which Japan calls "the four northern islands", which is between Russia and Japan, a long-standing territorial disputes.

Medvedev personally inspected the landing would be tantamount to the Japanese emphasis on the Russian government does not recognize Japan's claim to sovereignty over the South Kuril Islands - and the situation is even worse than this because of the pre-inspection plan, President Medvedev and China were friendly and a grand meeting between the Chinese and Japanese sovereignty over some islands there are disputes.

Use of words indicates that Japan will face a strategic nightmare - China and Russia will form a united front, "Russian Bear" and "Chinese Dragon" will be pursued in the Western Pacific, "Japan's shrimp."

Medvedev did not go to the Kuril Islands, the reason is bad weather, the airport closed, suggesting that he might did not intend to landing, the whole thing may just opened a little joke, aimed to tease in Japan, it was a little anxious. However, this is not expected in East Asia to a number of new tensions in a sign. In this tension, the Japanese seem to lose the most.

Tensions began last month, when Japan claimed the Senkaku Islands in Japan (that I Diaoyu Islands - newspaper note) the arrest of Chinese fishermen near the sea. And the Kuril Islands is different from Japan firmly in control of the Senkaku Islands. But China insisted that the Diaoyu Islands belong to China, it is that skipper is seized by Japan in China's waters, which rise to China's strong anger.

Although it cool, but the event seemed to fall from the time when the Sino-Japanese relations triggered a new wave, the wave of storms due to the then Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visited the Yasukuni Shrine sky.

Typically, these arguments are obviously caused by the anger in China, Japan is anxious confusion. However, this time a little different: Russia involved.

President Medvedev during a meeting with President Hu Jintao, the two sides signed the "Chinese and Russian heads of state on the 65th anniversary of World War II, the Joint Statement," the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II is the 65th anniversary of the victory against Japan. "Joint Statement", said the militant friendship between the two peoples and help each other with a glorious chapter in history to write the current Sino-Russian strategic cooperation has laid a solid foundation of partnership. "Joint Declaration" is also a reminder of Japan and Russia together the fate of the last invasion of another country.

Superpower in the two areas together to deal with Japan's official outlook remains very far away - but they may be a harbinger of joint is evident. Anyway, this will make the mouth of the ruling Democratic Party to fulfill the election shortly after the escape under the protection of U.S. military commitments becomes more difficult