ABSTRACT
The northeast Asia region includes a number of maritime boundary disputes involving Japan, South Korea, and China. This chapter discusses disputes involving island sovereignty of the Senkaku and Dokdo Islands, ownership of fisheries and hydrocarbon resources, and historical grievances resulting from post-WW II treaties. The US, an ally of both Japan and South Korea, and an adversary of China, is a reluctant player in these disputes and will likely be forced to be involved in any military conflict that may ensue. Overlapping maritime claims resulting from ambiguous UNCLOS definitions of continental shelf and contradictory boundary delimitation principles are being exploited by the disputing States which have used their claims to fan nationalistic fervour and political advantage. As a result, the region's hydrocarbon resources remain unproven with production limited to a small area of offshore China.
