Thread: Relations Between Russia and the Pacific Rim

Hi, I've just found this site and signed up here.
I'm curious to know, how much is Australia mentioned in the Russian media (if at all)? Down here in Australia, just about the only time Russia gets mentioned is when disasters of one sort or another happen there. And our Prime Minister is too busy getting cozy with the USA to bother with Russia (if he even knows it exists!). There's plenty of Russians emmigrated out here, though, including the suburb where I live.

P.S. I can't speak Russian as such, but I have managed to learn the alphabet! (I'm kind of stalled there.)

Originally Posted by Suzy

Hi, I've just found this site and signed up here.
I'm curious to know, how much is Australia mentioned in the Russian media (if at all)? Down here in Australia, just about the only time Russia gets mentioned is when disasters of one sort or another happen there.

Hi Suzy
Well, it is a common thing. For example (if you are 'from a Melbourne suburb with plenty of Russians', you probably know the story ):

http://www.utro.ru/articles/2003/11/14/249884.shtml

(in English see http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s988790.htm )

Unfortunately, most of news like that come with a lot of unnecessary stupid speculations.

And of course, such events like G.W.Bush's visit to Australia appear in Russian news, too.

originally the islands were owned by Russia but then in 1905 there was the Russo-Japanese war, which resulted in the Japanese taking them, then 1945 was Russain payback. The Ainu are almost gone they are asiatic caucasoids and resmeble other "white" peoples.

Did Japan at all attack russia at any time in WWII ?? I was watching a thing the other day on TV about American planes that were shot down (well, broken) over japan, and they would fly their damaged planes north and crashland on the kamchatka peninsula.

They said that the meetings between the americans and russians were always friendly, like long lost brothers hugging for the first time (yay, that's the kind of story i like to hear) but, they said that since Russia was not at war with japan (what ?) then the american soldiers were usually put in prison for a certain amount of time before being returned to the USA.

My question...what ? I thought that russia was at war with japan too... or not? Didn't japan invade russia in WWII ? Or was that the Russo - japanese war mentioned above ?

also... about the china - war thing...

There are/were fears about china mounting an attack on america also...

Sometime after the beijing olympic games.

I guess china was studying how we carried out the first gulf war, and they continue to study how we are fighting in the second.

I dont think that china has the power (yet) to mount an attack on America. But russia, that sure is a scary thought. I think if China invaded russia, America / Britain/ Germany/Austrialia(thailand) or whatever that country china is on the brink of war with now/ Would all be against china in that war.

look how (most of) the world banded together to defeat germany in WWII, i dont think it would be any diffrent. (exept maybe, more nukes).

Oh, i bet stupid north korea would help china, but, japan could keep them busy while we do the real fighting =).

Originally Posted by Dogboy182

My question...what ? I thought that russia was at war with japan too... or not? Didn't japan invade russia in WWII ? Or was that the Russo - japanese war mentioned above ?

No, Japan never declared war on the USSR. IIRC it was expected, but the Soviets had a spy working high-up in the Japanese war ministry who was able to confirm that it wasn't going to happen, which allowed Stalin to leave the far east relatively unguarded and bring a whole load of fresh troops to the west to fight the Germans. After the end of the war in Europe the Soviet Union declared war on Japan, supposedly to repay the US for having (eventually) opened a second front in Europe, but not until the very last minute when it was obvious Japan was about to be defeated.

There are/were fears about china mounting an attack on america also...

Who fears this? A few hysterical Americans scared of any culture they don't understand and can't easily dominate, or some tub-thumping nationalistic politicians who need to invent a new menace to justify the US' defense budget? Or are you talking about someone with credibility?

Sometime after the beijing olympic games.

Wow, there's even a timeframe in place?

yea, i read it somewhere, i forget where.

And, i guess i wouldn't call it "fears", more like "Speculation".

and yes, there was a timeline.

anf wtf is tub thumping. More british nonsensical slang

Milliticions are always speculating and planning the details of "what if" kinds of wars. A war with Canada has even been speculated with some detail too.

Well we did grab some territory from Canada and we had a relatively hostile border after all alot of them were fleeing Torres who had fought agianst us with the British and could have been combined for a joint Canadian/British invasion. so I can see having contengency plans for Canada, 150 years ago. Russia and Japan actualy were what we would consider at war ever after the Russo-Japanese "incident" and during the 1930's fought many times over the skys of Manchuria and on the ground they both had a no holds barred "war" on Russian/Manchurian border in the late 30's which lasted for 4 months right until the onset of WWII, where they both tacitly agreed to fight others, not to have peace. The Russians also earlier had kicked the crap out of the japanese in the Mongolian steps. which drived the Japanese completely out of Mongolia. Because of the bad record for japan interms of fighting the Ruskies in mongolia and manchuria (specifically its Rusian border) the Japs opted out of joing Hitler in his invasion of the soviet union( Op. Barberosa) and later urged Hitler to sign a peace treaty with Soviets, which would have included Japanese concessions to the Soviets(maybe the Kuril islands, etc)
An often overlooked cause for the Japanese hardliners surrender was not the Automic Bomb, but the stunning succes of Russia in the last week of the war in sweeping the japanese out of both Manchuria and Korea. Taking a wopping 1 million Japanese POW's and getting sweet revenge for 1905 by taking back the kuril islands. The hardcore Japanese officers were scared of a full Russian occupation versus an American one. The cold war would have been different without Japan in western hemisphere influence.