ABSTRACT
Introduction 1 The sovereignty dispute over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea is arguably the most contentious maritime security fl ashpoint in East Asia. Japan, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and the Republic of China (ROC)/Taiwan have each laid similar claims to the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands. The confl ict has periodically hampered China-Japan relations since the resurgence of the issue in the early 1970s. Beijing and Tokyo were able to shelve the debate to normalize their relations in 1972. Yet the hope of former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping that a future generation would be able to resolve the matter has been left unrealized. Historical grievances combined with rising nationalism and energy interests has led one analyst to argue that “if there is a fl ashpoint to ignite a third Sino-Japanese War, it will be the ownership of the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea.” 2
The Senkaku/Diaoyu confl ict revolves around a series of small unoccupied islands. The island cluster is approximately 120 nautical miles northeast of Taiwan, 200 nautical miles east of China, and 200 nautical miles southwest of Okinawa. Five are considered islets while three are identifi ed as barren rocks. In total, their land amounts to just 7 square kilometers. The Senkaku/ Diaoyus are considered valuable, however, as they are strategically located near vital sea lanes of communication and the surrounding seabed is suspected to be rich in hydrocarbon resources. The strategic, economic, and territorial importance of the islands is matched by their symbolic signifi cance to China, Japan, and Taiwan. Furthermore, the fate of this dispute bears importance for other territorial claims held by the contenders. As a result, none of the claimants has so far been willing to make concessions with regard to their territorial claims and the impasse remains a formidable stumbling block toward any form of long-term and peaceful resolution of the disputes.
