South China sea & East china sea China, Japan, and U.S. Shadow

South China Sea East China Sea (Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands) Claimants: China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia… Non-Claimants: ASEAN countries… Outsiders: U.S., Japan, India, Australia… Claimants: China, Japan… Outsider: U.S.

For what reason, are states get involved in disputes, especially outsiders? What’s the difference between the two disputes for a certain state, and why? How did these states’ relevant policies change? Is there any connection between these two issues? How does the relationships among states influence and get influenced by these disputes?

Regional Security Complex Theory Since most threats travel more easily over short distances than over long ones, security interdependence is normally patterned into regionally based clusters: security complexes. Processes of securitisation and thus the degree of security interdependence are more intense between the actors inside such complexes Penetration occurs when outside powers make security alignments with states within an RSC; outside powers cannot usually define, desecuritise, or reorganise the region

COMPARISON China: more aggressive in SCS than in ECS Japan: ECS as major concern; become more involved in SCS on non-traditional security issues U.S.: try to maintain neutrality in sovereignty and manage instability in SCS; have obligations under US-Japan defense treaty in ECS

SCS-WHY SCS-HOW ECS-WHY ESC-HOW CHINA JAPAN U.S. Strategic importance; Economic security; Resources Growing assertiveness JAPAN Economic repercussion / regional stability; Link to dispute on ECS Non-traditional security issues: Multilateral diplomacy; Bilateral military support Build-up of troops and strengthen military power U.S. Free navigation; Regional stability Neutrality over sovereignty; Manage instability; Limit SCS in US-Sino relation Obligations under US-Japan security treaty ….

NEXT Read more about East China Sea, further clarify the concrete security dynamics, the balance of power relations in two issues Write about what RSCT can explain and what RSCT lacks (Refer to some domestic policy documents for changes in relevant policies? (Try to make a new diagram?

REFERENCE Buzan, Barry, and Ole Waever. Regions and powers: the structure of international security. Vol. 91. Cambridge University Press, 2003. Fels, Enrico, and T. Vu. Power Politics in Asia's Contested Waters. Springer, 2016. Reeves, Jeffrey, Jeffrey Hornung, and Kerry Lynn Nankivell, eds. Chinese-Japanese Competition and the East Asian Security Complex: Vying for Influence. Taylor & Francis, 2017. Courmont, Barthelemy, Frederic Lasserre, and Eric Mottet, eds. Assessing Maritime Disputes in East Asia: Political and Legal Perspectives. Taylor & Francis, 2017.