Publication

Although China and Japan remain deadlocked over who “owns” the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands, they have tentatively begun to address their political differences. In the maritime realm, for example, the two countries are creating a mechanism to regulate contacts between their navies and air forces; they’re analyzing points of regional convergence and divergence; and they’re identifying the impediments that may hinder future negotiations or implementation measures. To facilitate these efforts, the author recommends additional tools that China and Japan can use to avoid crises in the East China Sea.