ABSTRACT
The Senkaku/Diaoyu dispute has taken on an important dimension in the sense that it is now both the symbolic and the actual manifestation of the accumulated tensions between China and Japan, linking all the tensions and issues these countries have between them. The chapter argues that the deadlock over the Senkaku/Diaoyu dispute would only be broken if President Xi and Prime Minister Abe’s leaderships demonstrate political will to try and negotiate the issue with an eye to creating better relations towards the future. Given Xi and Abe’s background, these leaders are in excellent position to negotiate a real peace. Through the shifting of the popular narrative and altering the terms of competition as defined by analysts in both capitals, moving the dispute away from an identity-based entrenched dispute to one based on material interests where co-operation and collaboration might help resolve the tensions.
