What does the first visit to the Kuril Islands by Vladimir Putin mean for China?

INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY

Vladimir Putin’s unprecedented visit to the disputed southern Kuril Islands is among a broader joint push by Beijing and Moscow to pressure Japan over a range of grievances, including sanctions on Russia and the Taiwan issue, experts say. The Russian president’s symbolic visit on Thursday to the far east volcanic archipelago north of Japan’s Hokkaido – which Japan calls the Northern Territories – was days ahead of the anniversary on Saturday of Japan’s surrender in World War II. It is Putin’s...