Senkaku Islands

  • Contested territories
  • Claimed by Japan, China, Taiwan

Three islets and five barren rocks are known in Japan as the Senkaku Islands, in China as the Diaoyu Islands and in Taiwan they are known as the Tiaoyutai Islands. Japan has controlled them since 1972, when they were handed over by the Americans, who had had administered them since 1945. Despite the political conflicts between China and Taiwan, both governments agree that the islands are part of Taiwan with Japan rejecting this. In 2014 the Hollywood documentary ‘Diaoyu Islands: The Truth’ was released to great acclaim in China.

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Why the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands Are Like a Toothpaste Tube

Consisting of five core islands and several minor features in the East China Sea, the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands (Japan calls them Senkakushotō, while the China uses the name Diaoyudao) are not much in terms of size—the biggest is only a bit larger than New York City’s Central Park. But they loom large as a potential cause of armed conflict—if not war—between the region’s major powers. What has made the islands such a dangerous flashpoint?

War on the Rocks | 4 Sep 2019

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Taiwan

Taiwan, officially the Republic of China, is a de facto island state in the East Chinese Sea. The People’s Republic of China has consistently claimed sovereignty over Taiwan and refuses diplomatic relations with any country that recognizes this republic. Taiwan is the 22nd-largest economy in the world, and its high-tech industry plays a key role in the global economy, it is unrecognized by most member states of the United Nations. Still, many countries maintain unofficial ties with Taiwan through representative offices and institutions that function as de facto embassies and consulates.

Paracel Islands

The Paracel Islands, also known as Xisha Islands (Chinese) or Hoang Sa Archipelago (Vietnamese), are an archipelago of about 130 small islands and reefs in the South China Sea. The islands are under the control of China, but are also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan. The French colonial government tried to incorporate the archipelago into French Indochina, but the Chinese took control over the islands after the ‘Battle of the Paracel Islands’ in 1974. It is home to the largest blue sinking hole in the world: the Dragon Hole.

North Dumpling Island

North Dumpling Island was bought for $2.5 million in 1986 by entrepreneur Dean Kamen, the founding father of the Segway Human Transporter. After a denial from local officials to build his own wind turbine on the island he decided to secede from the United States, and even got his friend, then president George W. Bush to comply. The island has its own flag, constitution, anthem and Dean Kamen did eventually build his own turbine, which along with several solar panels provides all the energy for the island.