CAO Zhihong

(№.4,2011)

Abstract: Japan and Russia are complementary in energy and have a great cooperative potential. However, in the complicated background of history and law, they have made little headway in the cooperation because of dispute over territorial sovereignty. Russo-Japanese relations have been at the worst level since President Medvedev visited the Kuril Islands in November 2010. After Japan suffered the earthquake , tsunami and nuclear crisis in March of this year, Russo-Japanese relations have had a subtle change. The two countries have shown cooperative attitude again. For helping Japan overcome the crisis, Russia offered this country a package of cooperation projects, including the projects originally planned to cooperate with China, such as the Kovykta gas fi eld and tsayanj oil and gas fi eld in Eastern Siberia. Facing Russo-Japanese cooperation in energy again, Chinese competition in the energy
fi eld in Northeast Asia will meet a heavier pressure.
Key words: nuclear power crisis; Russo-Japanese relations; energy cooperation