ABSTRACT
The chapter begins with a concise historical account of the East China Sea conflict as it unfolded from the late nineteenth century to 2008. It then analyses the re-emergence of the One China sovereignty discourse in Taiwan under the presidency of Ma Ying-jeou (2008–2016) and its initial impact on Taiwan’s relations with Japan. The chapter focuses on the Taiwan-Japan conflicts at sea from 2008 to 2013, particularly those that occurred shortly before and after the Japanese government’s nationalisation of three disputed islands in September 2012. It argues that the Ma administration’s support for the Baodiao activists created a powerful impression that both Beijing and Taipei tacitly collaborated in order to produce One China in the East China Sea, that is, that the Diaoyus/Diaoyutais fell under the shared sovereignty of One China, which included both Taiwan and the Chinese mainland.
