Publication

This brief looks at what crisis management mechanisms Japan and China could adopt to deal with the risks posed by incidents involving engagements between their navies in the East China Sea. The author also 1) examines what Beijing and Tokyo can learn from the experiences of the US in establishing such maritime crisis management mechanisms with the Soviet Union during the Cold War and China; and 2) highlights why China and Japan urgently need to establish effective tools for managing tensions. In general, the author argues that the crisis mechanisms between the two countries need to involve 1) a hotline between naval staff officers in charge of operations; 2) regular talks between naval staff; and 3) the establishment of a common code of conduct for activities in the East China Sea.