ABSTRACT
The Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands dispute has long been perceived as one of the most difficult territorial issues plaguing security and the contemporary regional order in East Asia. The situation in the East China Sea has deteriorated since 2010 when a collision took place involving a Chinese fishing vessel and a Japanese coast guard ship. It is well-demonstrated that the Taiwan Dilemma has posed considerable challenges to China's Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands policy. In short, when attesting to the realistic situation, the Taiwan Dilemma is intricately reflected in the duality of this wrestle between law and politics. A sensible explanation is that Ma's move aimed to pacify China, which had been unnerved by the Taiwan–Japan fishery deal, and was wary of possible Taiwan–Japan cooperation in the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands dispute. The San Francisco Peace Treaty (SFPT) touched on reversions of territories ceded, occupied, or unlawfully obtained by Japan to China.
