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This volume is designed to be a practical, yet critical, introduction to the main maritime and territorial disputes in the Indo-Pacific region. It covers the most controversial disputes, including those in the South China Sea, the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands, Dokdo/Takeshima, the Kuril Islands, Taiwan, and Sino-India border issues. In addition, the role of the key actors in the region is examined, offering various perspectives on the disputes along with the basic rationales behind claimant nations’ diplomatic approaches. With a team of contributors made up of both senior and early-career scholars, diplomats, and legal specialists, the book provides a wide range of insights that go beyond what is provided in the media.
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Contributors: Yoichiro Sato, Serafettin Yilmaz (Yao Shifan), Bhaso Ndzendze, Mark Henderson, Adam Gerval, Duan Xiaolin, Alana Camoça, Valentina Maljak, Gleice Miranda, Mayuri Banerjee, Leticia Simões, Astha Chadha.
Territorial and maritime disputes are rarely only questions of borders or legal claims. Geography becomes strategic when territory, resources, access, mobility, and power intersect.
A field-informed perspective also reminds us that maps represent more than lines. Terrain, distance, infrastructure, population, and access can shape what states are actually capable of doing, regardless of how persuasive a diplomatic or legal position may appear.
Understanding these disputes therefore requires connecting international law and diplomacy with geography, capability, and the realities of strategic practice.
— Wahidullah Noorzai (NIDA)
Former Senior ANCOP Officer | Field Strategist | Military & Security Analyst