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THE TAIWAN PROBLEM AND TERRITORIAL DISPUTES BETWEEN CHINA AND JAPAN

S. A. Barov, M. A. Egorova, D. V. Isakova, A. Y. Megrish

Abstract

The article deals with the actual problem of territorial disputes between China and Japan, as well as the role of the two countries in the settlement of the “Taiwan problem”. In recent years, there has been a rapid growth of contradictions and negative trends in Sino-Japanese relations, periodically exacerbated by the unraveling conflict around the Senkaku Islands, processes of general militarization of the region, including the activation of military cooperation between Japan, the United States and Taiwan. Against the backdrop of a sharp deterioration in bilateral relations, the parties are lesser hiding their claims for dominance in East Asia, in general, and for their influence in individual countries. The different understanding of the future of the region by the political leadership of the two countries, the lack of readiness for restraint in the implementation of their maritime strategies, draws the attention of the “third force”, that is the USA, which pursues the goal of maintaining military domination in the Asia-Pacific Region, at the present stage involving the deployment of anti-missile systems against China and Russia. The authors carefully analyze the general historical context of the territorial conflicts of China and Japan, dating back to the period of the Japanese occupation of Taiwan from 1895 to 1945 and to the times of World War II, emphasizing their understanding in the broad public circles of the two countries. The growing contradictions between Japan and China and the readiness of the parties to use military force for defending their interests lead to a military and political crisis in the region, the formation of hostile blocs and the practice of dividing spheres of influence. The study notes that historical reconciliation, the recognition of the outcomes of the Second World War and the willingness of the parties to seek for a compromise solution to delineate the water area of the East China Sea, determine the sea zones of “economic interests”, search for a common approach to cooperation with Taiwan, the restraining of the USA influence on regional processes are an integral part of the normalization of Japanese-Chinese relations and a guarantee of preventing a war.

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