What does the first visit to the Kuril Islands by Vladimir Putin mean for China?
South China Morning Post
NEW
Search the way you think. Try our AI-powered search to find news faster.
Asia
All
Asia
What does the first visit to the Kuril Islands by Vladimir Putin mean for China?
Subscribe
2
SIGN IN
Advertisement
Japan
Asia
What does the first visit to the Kuril Islands by Vladimir Putin mean for China?
Diplomatic offensive seen to signal growing alignment between Beijing and Moscow to isolate Tokyo ahead of key November summit
3-MIN READ
3-MIN
2
Listen
Make SCMP preferred on Google
Albee Zhang
in Shanghai
Published: 9:42pm, 14 Aug 2026
Updated: 10:26pm, 14 Aug 2026
Vladimir Putin’s unprecedented visit to the disputed southern Kuril Islands signals a broader joint effort by Moscow and Beijing to pressure Japan, according to analysts. They said the coordinated push aimed to target Tokyo over a range of friction points, including Western sanctions on Russia and Japan’s stance on Taiwan.
The Russian president paid a symbolic visit to the Kurils – a volcanic chain north of Hokkaido that Japan calls the Northern Territories – on Thursday, just ahead of Saturday’s anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II.
Select Voice
Select Speed
- 0.8x
- 0.9x
- 1.0x
- 1.1x
- 1.2x
- 1.5x
- 1.75x
00:00
00:00
1x
AI-generated voice
Edition:
International
SUBSCRIBE
Get unlimited access to the SCMP
HIGHLIGHTS
- Donald Trump’s China policy
- US-China relations
- Hong Kong economy
News
- Hong Kong
- China
- Economy
- Asia
- World
- Sport
This Week in Asia
- US Elections
Business & Tech
- Business
- Tech
Opinion
-
Latest
-
Lifestyle
-
People & Culture
-
Style
-
PostMag
-
K-pop
-
Outdoor
-
Cooking
More +
Video
-
Talking Post
-
SCMP Films
-
Infographics
-
Pictures
-
Podcasts
-
SCMP Series
-
Explained
-
SCMP Spotlight
Newsletters
- Special Reports
Games
Topics
-
US-China relations
-
Artificial intelligence (AI)
-
Donald Trump’s China policy
-
SpaceX
-
Nvidia
-
Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy
-
Iran
-
China’s military
-
Trending in China
Focus
- Greater Bay Area