Target IAS : China-Japan Relation

Senkakau/Diayou

There is raging dispute between China and Japan over the sovereignty of Senkakau(Japan) / Diayou(China) islands arise in september 2012.
China claims sovereignty over the uninhabited islands, while Japan has the administrative control over them.
Senkakau is a located in East China Sea consisting of group of islands having 5 inhabited and 3 barren rocks island.
Aside from a 1945 to 1972 period of administration by the United States, the archipelago has been controlled by Japan since 1895. The People's Republic of China (PRC) disputed the proposed US handover of authority to Japan in 1971 and has asserted its claims to the islands since that time.
The territory is close to key shipping lanes and rich fishing grounds, and there may be oil reserves in the area.
Baodiao Movement : Baodiao movement (meaning Defend the Diaoyu Islands movement) is a social movement in China, Hong Kong andTaiwan that asserts Chinese sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu Islands in Chinese) in its disputesThe territorial right to the islands is disputed among the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China, and Japan, who currently controls them. Action Committee for Defending the Diaoyu Islands and China Federation for Defending the Diaoyu Islands are representative organizations.One of the prominent leaders of the Movement was David Chan Yuk-cheung He drowned in the sea near the disputed islands during the first wave of direct protests.

China announced to set up an Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) over the Senkakau / Diayou islands in East China Sea .More
Normally under international law, a country’s sovereign airspace extends to the outer limits of its territorial waters; that is 12 nautical miles from its coastline. Most countries require all foreign military aircraft to obtain permission to enter their airspace and reserve the right to take military action that includes shooting them down, in case there is no compliance.
Apart from sovereignty over a 12 mile territorial limit there is also the concept of the Exclusive Economic Zone [EEZ]. According to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea [UNCLOS], each signatory state can claim an EEZ that gives it special rights to exploit marine resources up to 200 nautical miles from its coastline. When EEZs overlap, states are supposed to negotiate an agreed boundary. Most states allow freedom of passage for foreign vessels through their EEZ to proceed unhindered. However, some states disagree on whether non-aggressive foreign military operations – such as reconnaissance patrols — should be allowed in their EEZ

China and Japan are the world’s second and third largest economies, meaning any conflict would have disastrous global consequences. Moreover, this bilateral relationship is not truly bilateral. Any conflict between these two countries automatically pulls in the United States.
Demarcate the air and waters around the Diaoyu/Senkakus as a “zone of peace.” China and Japan could agree not to send any official or military aircraft, vessels, and personnel into this zone for an agreed upon period of time, such as two years, as a means to avoid accidental incidents and conflict. The zone’s size could be decided upon by these countries, perhaps 12 nautical miles surrounding each of the small islands. This zone of peace would only be a temporary arrangement; it would not nullify the territorial claims that each side has maintained.
To overcome the sovereignty over the island conflict, Chinese and Japanese leaders first need to demonstrate their vision, courage, and determination to make peace. The establishment of the zone of peace is a crisis prevention tactic.

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