Tensions in the East China Sea

George Larach
11/9/18
Global Politics
Tensions in the East China Sea
Currently, there is a conflict reaching critical condition between China and Japan over who the Senkaku islands, a small group of islands around 330 km off the coast of China, belong to. Originally, the islands were formally claimed by Japan in 1895 and have been privately owned by Japanese citizens since then (except for a brief period in World War II, when the United States controlled the islands). The conflict began when potential undersea oil reserves were discovered in 1968, and since then the territory has been disputed. In April of 2014, Barack Obama stated that the islands are covered by the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty (also known as the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security Treaty), but the U.S. does not take a position on who ultimately takes sovereignty. If the U.S. or Japan were to accidentally make a military or political mistake, the U.S. could be forced into armed hostilities with China. There have been talks and conversations of peaceful resolution, but rising nationalist concerns and political mistrust hinder the possibilities of peacefully diffusing the situation. Because of treaty resolutions with Japan, any escalation of military tension could possibly involve the U.S. The total disputes area is around 81,000 square miles, 8 islands total, and, whoever gains total sovereignty will have access to an estimated equivalent of 200 million barrels of oil. Japan and China have had crisis management discussions, starting in 2012, but stalling in 2013 due to tensions peaking when China declared the establishment of an air defense identification zone (air traffic restrictions) over the islands. In early 2015, conversations resurfaced regarding the implementation of an aerial communication system, and in July 2018, it was put into action.

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