maritimeawarenessprojectANALYSISBECSTRATINGisExecutiveDirectorofLaTrobeAsiaatLaTrobeUniversity.MaritimeandSovereigntyDisputesintheEastChinaSeaBecStratingFebruary9,2021TheEastChinaSeahasbeendescribedbysomeexpertsasapotential“flashpoint”ofinterstateconflictandgreat-powerrivalryandasourceofregionaldestabilization.1Muchattentionhasfocusedonmilitaryactivitiesinthismaritimetheater,primarilyinvolvingJapan,China,andSouthKorea.Incontrast,thisessayfocusesonthecomplexmaritimeandsovereigntyclaimsofNortheastAsianstatesintheEastChinaSeaandunpacksthedifferinglegalprinciplestheyusetosupporttheirclaimsinordertounderstandtheenduringnatureoftheconflicts.Thesedisputesarechallengingpreciselybecausetheyinvolvecontestsoverbothterritorialsovereigntyandmaritimerights.Thepresenceofdifferentlegalprinciplesthatstatescandrawontodefendtheirnationalinterestsmakesthesedisputesmoreintractable,asstatesinconsistentlyuseinternationallegalprinciplestomaximizetheirmaritimeentitlements.MaritimeDisputesIntheEastChinaSea,maritimeandterritorialdisputesaredistinctbutinterrelated.Territorial1See,forexample,ToddHall,“MoreSignificanceThanValue:ExplainingDevelopmentsintheSino-JapaneseContestovertheSenkaku/DiaoyuIslands,”TexasNationalSecurityReview2,no.4(2019):11–37;BrendanTaylor,TheFourFlashpoints:HowAsiaGoestoWar(Melbourne:LaTrobeUniversityPress,2018);andZackCooper,“FlashpointEastChinaSea:PotentialShocks,”AsiaMaritimeTransparencyInitiative,April27,2018.disputesemergeoverownershipofthelandfeaturesthatdottheseas.Maritimedisputes,ontheotherhand,relatetooverlappingjurisdictionalclaimsovermaritimeareas.Maritimezonessuchasanexclusiveeconomiczone(EEZ)andacontinentalshelfprovidesovereignrightsbutnotfullsovereignty(seeTable1).TheprimarylegalmechanismformanagingorresolvingmaritimedisputesistheUnitedNationsConventionontheLawoftheSea(UNCLOS),whichhasbeensignedandratifiedbyJapan,China,andSouthKorea,amongothercountries.However,whileUNCLOScontainsmechanismsforresolvingmaritimedisputes,itdoesnotapplytosovereigntydisp...
