ABSTRACT
The maritime dispute in the East China Sea between the People's Republic of China (PRC), Japan, and the Republic of China (ROC–Taiwan) has been particularly sensitive since 2012. At the international level, the crisis has offered Taiwan a double opportunity. Following Japan's decision to nationalize three of the Islands known as Senkaku, Diaoyu or Diaoyutai. This chapter suggests new orientations in Taiwan's diplomacy regarding its territorial and maritime claims and raises the question of its relations with Mainland China in a case of territorial dispute. Firstly, it explores Taiwan's arguments in the maritime dispute, in comparison with Japan's and China's claims. Secondly, it introduces the question of the control of the oil reserves and the US implications, and its perception in Taiwan. Thirdly, it describes Ma Ying-jeou's plan and its consequences, while the fourth presents Beijing's strategic calculations. Besides the notorious rivalry between China and Japan, the Senkaku/Diaoyu/Diaoyutai maritime and territorial dispute reveals the importance of Taiwan's regional diplomacy.
