Sino-Japanese relations have been repeatedly strained by the territorial dispute over a group of small islands, known as the Senkaku islands in Japan and the Diaoyu islands in China. The rich fishing grounds, key shipping lanes, and perhaps especially, potentially rich oil deposits around the islands exacerbate this dispute in a confluence of resource pressures, growing nationalism, and rising military spending in the region.
Bridging Troubled Waters reminds us that the tensions over the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands are only a part of a long history of both conflict and cooperation in maritime relations between Japan and China. James Manicom examines the cooperative history between China and Japan at sea and explains the conditions under which two rivals can manage disputes over issues such as territory, often correlated with war.
China and Japan appear incapable of putting history behind them, are poised on the brink of a strategic rivalry, and seem at risk of falling into an unintentional war over disputed maritime claims. Bridging Troubled Waters challenges this view by offering a case-by-case analysis of how China and Japan have managed maritime tensions since the dispute erupted in 1970. The author advances an approach that offers a trade-off between the most important stakes in the disputed maritime area with a view to establishing a stable maritime order in the East China Sea. The book will be of interest to policymakers, academics, and regional specialists in Asia, security studies, and international conflict and cooperation.
Table of Contents
Introduction: Disorder at Sea?
1. Cooperation and the Value of Maritime Space
2. The Collapse of Cooperation over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands
3. Cooperation on Fisheries, 1997–2000
4. Cooperation on Marine Research Activities, 2000–2001
5. Resource Development in the East China Sea, 2005-2008
6. Managing Two Maritime Powers
Conclusion: Building Maritime Order in the East China Sea
Bibliography
Index
Reviews
"Throughout the work, the author maintains a balanced outlook and a clear, strictly objective voice that matches his rigorous research and solid scholarship. This book is a joy to read and does not have the pretentious tones of a tedious text. . . . Manicom has written an outstandingly erudite and carefully researched book. It will surely remain of interest to academics, diplomats, political theorists, and scholars for years to come."—Contemporary Southeast Asia
"Manicom contributes a fresh perspective. . . . [His] timely book contributes greatly to the understanding of one of the most pressing issues in Sino-Japanese relations, and is a must-read for serious students of East Asian international politics and maritime security alike."—Pacific Affairs
"[The book should] appeal to anyone interested in East Asian maritime security and Sino-Japanese relations."—E-International Relations
"A top recommendation for any college-level political studies and Asian history collection."—The Midwest Book Review
"A worthy addition to naval commanders' bookshelves and is strongly recommended."—Proceedings
"Bridging Troubled Waters is the best account of the complex history behind the Sino-Japanese impasse over the East China Sea. Despite worrisome trends in recent years, James Manicom furnishes compelling evidence that conflict is not fated. Scholars and practitioners alike will find Manicom’s balanced coverage of the policy debates in Tokyo and Beijing eye-opening and rewarding. Theoretically rigorous and empirically rich, this book is essential to understanding the maritime contest between China and Japan."—Toshi Yoshihara, John A. van Beuren Chair of Asia-Pacific Studies, US Naval War College
"This important and timely book demonstrates that cooperation between China and Japan in the maritime arena is not only possible, but also has been more frequent in the recent past than commonly believed. James Manicom makes his case by introducing an innovative framework for understanding the value of disputed territory to illustrate the origins and limits of maritime cooperation between Tokyo and Beijing. Manicom illuminates an important dynamic of the China-Japan relationship, as well as the dynamics of cooperation in territorial and maritime disputes."—M. Taylor Fravel, associate professor of political science, MIT
Awards
2014 Typographic Text, Large Non-Profit Category of the Washington Publishers Book Design and Effectiveness Awards, Honorable Mention
About the Author
James Manicom is a research fellow in Global Security at the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo, Canada. He has held fellowships with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Japan Foundation.
