Russia is against any form of independence for Taiwan and considers the island an inseparable part of China, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. In an interview with the TASS agency, the full text of which will be published on Sunday morning, he also called on Japan to consider the possible consequences of what he described as a move towards “militarisation”. TASR informs about it according to a Reuters report.
- Russia rejects any independence of Taiwan, supports the Chinese claim.
- Lavrov called the issue of Taiwan an internal matter of China.
- Relations between China and Russia have deepened since the attack on Ukraine.
- Japan plans to increase defense budget to promote stability.
- Russia criticizes Japan’s steps towards the militarization of the country.
Mainland China considers Taiwan part of its territory, although the island has had its own government since 1949. Beijing has repeatedly declared that it will one day take control of Taiwan, while not ruling out the use of force. As of December 2025, only about ten states maintain official diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
“Russia’s fundamental position on the Taiwan issue is well-known, unchanging and has been repeatedly confirmed at the highest level. The Russian side recognizes Taiwan as an integral part of China and opposes the island’s independence in any form,” Lavrov said, according to excerpts of the conversation published by TASS on Sunday night.
They consider the issue an internal matter
According to the head of diplomacy, the Russian position is based on the fact that the issue of Taiwan is an internal matter for China. “Beijing has all the legal reasons to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Lavrov added.
Beijing and Moscow have deepened bilateral ties since Russia launched a military attack on neighboring Ukraine in February 2022. China has never condemned the war or called on Moscow to withdraw its troops from Ukrainian territory. Many of Ukraine’s allies believe that Beijing has given Moscow support to wage war. China, on the other hand, insists that it is a neutral party, regularly calls for an end to the fighting, and at the same time accuses Western countries of prolonging the conflict by supplying Ukraine with weapons, AFP recalled.
He criticizes Japan
In an interview with TASS, Lavrov also claimed that Japan’s new leadership has recently been trying to “accelerate the militarization” of the country, which, according to him, has a harmful effect on regional stability. “Our Japanese neighbors should consider everything properly before making any hasty decisions,” he said.
The Japanese government on Friday approved a record budget for the coming fiscal year totaling $782 billion. The proposal, which still needs to be approved by the parliament, also includes the country’s defense budget of more than 58 billion dollars. With this step, the new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaičiová, according to the agencies, is reacting to deteriorating relations with China.
Tensions between the countries escalated after Takaichi said in early November that a possible armed attack by Beijing on Taiwan could prompt Tokyo to support the island militarily. China reacted indignantly to the Japanese leader’s comments.
