In addition to our post on “The Inconvenient Truth Behind the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands” by Han-Yi Shaw, the article "Deconstructing Japan’s Claim of Sovereignty over the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands" by Ivy Lee and Fang Ming in Japan Focus is also worth reading. The Shaw article focuses more on the political history surrouding the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands while the Lee-Ming article … [Read more...] about Deconstructing Japan’s Claim of Sovereignty over the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands
territorial dispute
Opinion: Free the Lewchew Islands from Japan
On May 8, Japan's government lodged a "strong protest" with the Chinese government over an article that had run in the People's Daily in which two academics questioned the basis of Japan's sovereignty over the Lewchew 琉球 (in Japanese, Ryukyu) islands. The Chinese side of course rejected the protest, and opinion columnists the world over have been weighing in. The current press … [Read more...] about Opinion: Free the Lewchew Islands from Japan
Philippines, China, UNCLOS and the South China Seas
Recently, we hear a growing chorus how the China - Philippines dispute in the South China Seas ought to be settled by binding arbitration under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). We already have dealt with some of the political dimensions of this (see, e.g., our South China Seas tag), and I won't rehash them here. But I do want to bring up a couple of … [Read more...] about Philippines, China, UNCLOS and the South China Seas
Japan recalls ambassador to Russia over Medvedev trip to disputed islands
The latest news in Japan is Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara recalling ambassador to Russia over Russian President Medvedev's recent trip to some disputed island between the two countries. The disputed islands are near the most northern tip of Japan. (Coverages from: Japan Times, China Daily, and Russia Today.) Map to the left with the 'A' flag is one of the islands under … [Read more...] about Japan recalls ambassador to Russia over Medvedev trip to disputed islands