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The Origins of US Policy in the East China Sea Islands Dispute

Okinawa's Reversion and the Senkaku Islands

By Robert Eldridge

To Be Published December 31st 2013 by Routledge – 320 pages

Series: Routledge Security in Asia Series

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  • Hardback: $155.00
    978-0-415-62926-3
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Description

Ownership of the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea is disputed between China and Japan, though historically the islands have been part of Okinawa, the southernmost islands of the Japanese archipelago. The dispute, which also involves Taiwan, has the potential to be a flashpoint between the two countries if relations become more strained, especially as the exploitation of gas reserves in the adjoining seabed is becoming an increasingly important issue. A key aspect of the dispute is the attitude of the United States, which, surprisingly, has so far refrained from committing itself to supporting the claims of one side or the other, despite its long-standing, strong alliance with Japan. This book charts the development of the Senkaku Islands dispute, and focuses in particular on the negotiations between the United States and Japan prior to the handing back to Japan in 1970 of Okinawa. The book shows how the detailed progress of these negotiations was critical in defining the United States’ neutral attitude to the dispute.

Contents

Introduction: How Not to Manage a Relationship 1. A History of the

Senkaku Islands and Competing Claims 2. The Senkaku Islands under U.S.

Occupation and Administration 3. The ECAFE Survey and the Origins of

the Territorial Dispute 4. The Okinawa Reversion Negotiations and the

Development of America’s “Neutrality Policy” 5. Ratification and the Domestic and Regional Reactions to the Okinawa 6. Reversion Treaty Conclusion

Author Bio

Robert Eldridge is a former Associate Professor of U.S.-Japan Relations at the School of International Public Policy, Osaka University, and a visiting scholar at the Okinawa Institute for Law and Politics, Okinawa International University, both in Japan.

Name: The Origins of US Policy in the East China Sea Islands Dispute: Okinawa's Reversion and the Senkaku Islands (Hardback) – Routledge 
Description: By Robert Eldridge. Ownership of the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea is disputed between China and Japan, though historically the islands have been part of Okinawa, the southernmost islands of the Japanese archipelago. The dispute, which also involves Taiwan, has the...
Categories: Chinese Studies, Security Studies - Military & Strategic, International Security, Asian Politics