ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the idea of useful rivalry at the level of the material economic and strategic/military value of the islands. The Chinese and Japanese foreign policy elites have used the islands to advance strategic goals that pertain to but also transcend bilateral relations and the island issue itself. The islands' are frequently characterised as either being of little value or of being primarily of political rather than commercial importance. In fact, the dispute has a strong material component. The islands possess strategic-military value, both as part of the so-called First Island Chain in the West Pacific, and as a springboard for entering China from the Pacific. The disputed islands moved from being marked as Japanese on Chinese maps before 1970 to being included as part of China's 'core interests' in official statements from 2012 onwards. The maritime domain has become increasingly important for China's national strategy.
