MUNITY East 2019 Pre-Conference Issue: Two Sides of The Same Coin

RACE
FOR
15th Century
The Senkaku Islands were first documented
in Chinese articles “joint” ownership of islands
between Taiwan and the mainland
THE SDD
Written by: Joshua Tang
Edited by: Priyanka Krishna
Layout by: Angel Yang
Photograph by: Joshua Tang
In the Pacific Ocean, Northeast
of Taiwan, lies the core of one of
the most highly disputed regions
in East Asia: the Senkaku Diaoyu
Dao (SDD) Islands. What are the
Senkaku Islands? Why are the islands
so highly coveted? Who really
owns them? The epic battle
of tug of war will have you on the
edge of your seat as you dive into
the heart of the dispute.
The Senkaku Islands (also known
to the Chinese as the Diaoyu Islands)
are a group of five islets
and three barren rocks, covering
7 square kilometers. A long-standing
contention over the ownership
of these islands had convulsed
relations among its surrounding
nations, most notably Japan and
China.
The Senkaku Islands, according
to the United Nations Economic
Commission for Asia and the Far
East’s article in 1969, appear to
possibly have the “richest seabed
with oil and hydrocarbon deposits”
and “have great promise as a
future oil province of the world”.
This report ignited China’s and
19
Taiwan’s desperation for the islands
and caused them to begin
to battle for Senkaku. In addition,
the islands are near many prominent
shipping lanes. The islands
are also rich in fishing resources,
with many high-quality species of
fish such as the Bonito fish and
the Bluefin tuna. Having the legal
rights to the islands would allow
fishermen to fish legally, contributing
to the relevant country’s
economy. Lastly, the islands could
serve as a military advantage, providing
more storage for fighter
jets, military equipment and could,
if needed, be used as a testing
ground.
However, the heart of the issue
isn’t really about its oil, fish, and
geostrategic location - after all,
why would the world’s second and
third largest economies be bothered
to pick up the ends of their
ropes for this tug of war over 7
square kilometers of islands? This
is because each neighboring nation
has a unique and rich history
in regards to the islands.
Japan has gained and lost claims
over the islands over the past
200 years. In 1884, the Japanese
claimed that the islands were terra
nullius, and thus annexed the islands
in 1895. The incorporation of
the Senkaku Islands into Japanese
territory happened in the same
year when Taiwan was granted to
Japan as part of the Sino-Japanese
War spoils. Afterward, the islands
were passed on to the Americans
in the Treaty Of San Francisco. In
1972, the American occupation
ended, and the Japanese once
again gained control of the islands
via the Okinawa Reversion Deal.
Although the Japanese terra nullius
claim may be less relevant now,
their claim based on their continuous
possession of the islands in
the last century abides by the international
law of acquisitive prescription.
Most of China’s claims rest on historical
evidence such as records
and maps dating back to the 15th
century. For the People’s Republic
of China, the Senkaku Islands
have been a part of their territory
since ancient times and was previously
owned/used by the Taiwanese.
However, in 1985, Taiwan was
passed on to Japan in the Treaty of
Shimonoseki after the Sino-Japanese
war. Taiwan was eventually
returned to China in the Treaty of
San Francisco, and China states
that the Japanese should’ve returned
the islands as well in the
process.