Ramiza Ghaly Fadhilla Fitriadi 2101707996

Wendrik Sandwi Lukito 2101709881

Yulyana Agustine Bunanto 2101653942

Japan Maritime Security Foreign Policies: The Dispute of

Senkaku Islands – Final Exam

Introduction
Ever since the end of World War II, Japan has been taken a guilt trip and sanction
from countries in the international environment, this then also cause them to drain out their
military forces. This insight then gave the world a tame views of Japan that has no military
power beside their self-defense forces. This situation then makes an interest for this essay to
took, with the curiosity of does this decreases of Japan’s role in global security also affected
the diplomacy and foreign policy decision making from the country itself? This question are
leading into the simpler research question of how does japan maintain its security in
context of Foreign Policy? Which are going to be analysed further in the following
paraghraphs. The case that this essay going to use is Japan and China conflict over the
maritime territory of Senkaku Islands (or Diaoyu Islands in Chinese) due to its relevancy of
maritime security in Japan’s modern problem. This academic essay will be separated into
sub-parts that briefly explain about several information with the whole different categories,
the first one would be background and introduction of the cases and the foreign policies
Japan take, magnified further through the lens of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) as the
legal international for this case that are applied in several treaties, then next would be the
expectation and target of the foreign policies that being applied, and in the end will be closed
by the conclusion. This paper will also use System Level Analysis on the foreign policy that
being applied by the countries that are about to be mentioned further.

Study Case Background: Senkaku Islands Dispute

Senkaku Islands, or in Chinese called as Diaoyu Island originally believed as a terra-
nullius or no man’s island that are being claimed by Japan first according to the mainstream
history. Under the Meiji Restoration era, japan annexed the island to their administration to
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Wendrik Sandwi Lukito 2101709881
Yulyana Agustine Bunanto 2101653942
put the island under the control of Ryukyu Kingdom (Okinawa Prefectures today), however
in 1879 they did not directly claim the island due to respectable relationship with the Qing
Empire of China at that time. However during the First Sino-Japanese war that occured 1895
Japan start to forcibly claim the island that still under the label of terra-nullius. Following the
victory that Japan gains against China, they both agreed that Senkaku Islands legitimately
owned by Japan due to the victory over the war with China and also due to the fact that Japan
has did a surveys in 1884, this agreement which then entitled as “Treaty of Shimonoseki”
(Liao, 2018). For China itself, their argument were focused more on historical evidence that
came from journal, article, books, voyages, records. China believed that the islands has been
part of China since long time ago, existing as an important fishing grounds from far away in
the ancestor era. At this point we can note that the island is originally a no man’s island that
once are a respectable border between Japan and China but after the battle of First Sino-
Japanese War, Japan gains the territory over China.

The Treaty of Shimonoseki itself has been evolved into a whole new different treaty
in the world today, its called the Treaty of San Fransisco. Before it evolves, the Treaty of
Shimonoseki does not only contains the aquisition towards the Senkaku Islands, but far much
more than that, as how it should be expected from the war victor against the loser. It contains
that Chinan have to be cede to Japan, also the aquisition of other islands that once belong to
China legitimately such as Taiwan. Take a look closerly in the perspective of geological
background, at this time China has given up the islands up to the Taiwan Island, by this then
Senkaku is one of the main islands that Japan gains from the victory. This which then become
a trouble in the modern world as in the time of now, because Senkaku not only being claimed
by Japan and China, but also by Taiwan. However, the bad luck is striking Japan in 1945 by
losing in the World War II, this also gave impact to the Treaty of Shimonoseki and also to the
status of the disputed islands as well (Lee, 2002). People Republic of China that starting to
get power in many way, also followed by Taiwan that stands to seek sovereignty start to
claim back Senkaku Islands under the name of Diaoyu. At this time, Japan that cooperated as
a World War II loser seek help through international law and actor, in this case is the United
States, however we know that even though Japan has lost the war, they are start to cooperate
with the Allied Forces for both of their benefit afterwards. Right after Japan lost, they signed
the San Fransisco Treaty in 1945, there are many list of contents filled in the treaty, but the
one that shooked PRC and Taiwan are the explicit statement of aquisition of Senkaku Islands
under the Japanese Juridiction and also agreed under the United States administration. The
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Wendrik Sandwi Lukito 2101709881
Yulyana Agustine Bunanto 2101653942
expectation of China and Taiwan that are about to claim Senkaku are gone within the formed
of Japan-US relationship that being formed in 1945 (Unryuu, 2000).

Its interestingly unique to see the west politics involvement behind the issues between
Japan and China of these Senkaku Islands. China has that expectation to gain power to assert
Senkaku under their sovereignty by the advantages of Japan that lost to the Allied Forces, but
it turns out the other way due to the west that start to involve in this cases with their own
interests, which enrage China as well. The United States and Allied Forces of course gain
benefit from the Treaty of San Fransisco, it ends the long running Japan imperial era and
shaped the whole new different Japan to the extent that the west world could trade and
cooperate with, unlike the previous imperial Japan. That is why United States support Japan
on acquiring the Senkaku Island, which are written in Article III of Treaty of San Fransisco
that Japan legitimately own the Senkaku Islands along the Ryukyu Islands and all the region
within their exclusive economic zones, this statement in the article are legitimized by United
States administration support, which makes it more powerful. However all of this agreement
signing is not only one sided doing of the United States and its allies, Japan also have voice
to aspire in the treaty itself, note that all of this is also the process of foreign policy making,
and despite du all of the United States and allies interests over the relationship, Japan also
make a foreign policy moves to successfully gain power to assert their sovereignty over the
Senkaku Islands, agains People of Republic China and Republic of China or Taiwan. That is
one of the example of how Japan show their foreign policy decision making to the world in
case of Senkaku Islands, this essay will provide analysis and other policies in details within
the following part.

Japan’s Foreign Policy Analysis

Before we continue to analize further about how Japan apply their foreign policy like
in the previous paraghraph, we have to note Prime Minister Yoshida Shigeru principle that
being a guide for Japan Foreign Policy up until now, The Yoshida Doctrine. The contents of
Yoshida Doctrine has three main principle, this principles which then being the guide for
every decision making in terms of foreign or domestic policies. First, Japan have to focused
theirselves for economic rehabilitation to recover themselves from the World War II lost,
then the second is a guidelines that Japan should hold firmly that says Japan have to be less-
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armed in terms of military due to their sanction as the loser of the war, and the last one is a
long term guidelines that Japan trusted their military security to their partner, the United
States for future hipothetical conflict or self defense protocol, this is why there are many
United States military bases in the whole region of Japan (Storey, 2013). From this doctrine
we have to understand that Japan alone are about to strive in a very focused way to develop
theri economies and leave the military stuff all behind to their new ally, United States. This
doctrine seems very risky, but its a good as well so Japan could strive economic rehabilitation
which are very successful.

One of the biggest economic rehabilitation program that Japan apply is to secure the
businesess with South East Asia (ASEAN countries) in terms of maritime trading. This
ambition that Japan wield of course proving that every maritime islands they have is very
precious for the sake of their development, that is why under the Yoshida Doctrine and
Treaty of San Fransisco, the most prominent things that Japan ask is to maintain their
legitimacy over the Senkaku Islands to keep their trading route and posts secured so they can
trade with the market of South East Asian countries. Japan has becoming really a good
importer of South East Asia, also they shares the same issues as well: the struggle of islands
dispute with China, by the South China Sea dispute. It is confirmed that Japan main focuses
on maritime security is to maintaining the process of sea trading and the sovereignty of
Senkaku Island, however China claims over the Spratly Islands that being disputed with the
ASEAN members are also underlining Japan Exclusive Economic Zone and their trading
route. China rising tension of military forces and deployment in the disputed region also
strengthening Japan relationship with ASEAN members. In December 2012, Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe launch a meeting with ASEAN countries member regarding the South China Sea
dispute, he convey a foreign policy strategy to focus on maritime security and trading using
the power of international law, not using the might of forces. This usage of ‘might’ word are
an expression of critics to China excesive military movement on the disputed region, which
are being agreed by other ASEAN members that felt the same way such as Phillipine,
Vietnam, and many others as well.

The ambition of Japan towards utilizing their maritime resources as economic

rehabilitation are starting to allude to the South China Sea from the Senkaku Islands. This
ambitions are popped out during the post Cold War era, that they sought global leadership in
terms of international affairs that involves economical context. A study of Japan interests on
global economy by Joshua P. Rowan explain that Japan aspires to become the leadership of
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global economic emerging power, they seek to gain economic power instead of ‘might’ due
to their sanction after World War II, in other words they have no option to seek the strength
of economical affairs and become the prominent actor of that field since they cannot grow
military forces. In the article, the author analyzes despite the Senkaku Islands that are being a
good fishing grounds for Japan, it also produce many natural resources such as oil as well.
These natural resources which then be processed to become manufactured goods or oil
shipment to their loyal customer, the ASEAN members. In order to pass this sales to the
ASEAN members, they have to put all the export product in the Ryukyu Islands alignmnent
(which are the cluster name of Senkaku Islands, under Okinawa Prefecture) so they can sort
which location to deliver. That does not stop there to proof that Senkaku Islands is central for
Japan maritime trade, the route that Japan have to took in order to get to South East Asia is
the South China Sea that are being disputed. Under current condition the tension between
them are rising so it would make logistic expedition seems to be dangerous, and for the long
term Japan have to let themselves or their ally to secured the South China Sea to gain easy
access of the South China Sea route (Joshua, 2005).

The next level of Japan Maritime Security Foreign Policy is happened during the
annual ASEAN Regional Forum or ARF in 2010. Hillary Clinton as one of the representation
of United States secretary is commenting that it is not necessary to put might or violance in
the South China Sea or every other territorial dispute (Paul, 2015). This statement are being
supported by Vietnam as the host of the annual Asian Regional Forum at that time, followed
by other support that came from Japan. At that time, Foreign Minister Okada Katsuya shows
Japan foreign policy interests by backing up Clinton statement by saying that the South China
Sea has been a very powerful and useful route of Japan maritime trade, having a military
dispute or limiting the access towards the South China Sea maritime trade route would be
very disastrous for Japan economy state (Shimbun, 2012). This is indeed counted as one of
Japan moves on foreign policy decision making, in this case Japan decide to backing up US
voice on the Asean Regional Forum to gain supporter of non violance dispute settlement with
China in the future. This strategy is very well planned by Japan and United States because
once China agreed to settle the dispute peacefully and bind themselves to the international
court of justice and the international law, it would be an advantages for Japan and those who
has the same interest with Japan because the evidence of Japan owning the Senkaku Islands is
already being legitimized ever since 1945 in the Treaty of San Fransisco, and for the case of
South China Sea maritime route, it would be beneficial for ASEAN countries such as
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Phillipine and Vietnam as well since their evidence are also based from the international
sovereignty legitimacy and good records of international voyagers, unlike China that only
have the evidence claims that are based on their own national resources, books, and articles
which does not seen as valid in the international law.

Summarizing all of the findings and discussion above we can see that Japan has their
own ambition of foreign policy in terms of maritime security, which mostly are still
influenced by The Yoshida Doctrine. The target and expectation that Japan have in their
foreign policies above are to secure their maritime interest (which means territory, region,
and route in this term) to boost up their power in the stage of international affairs, since what
the thing that they can only do is to seek power economically, because of the sanction they
get to not letting them having military forces, also despite on maintaining and securing their
interests they also aim target for becoming the world economical leadership actor. The United
States that seems like using Japan as their doll in the stage of international does not actually
doing that way, in contrary Japan also took advantage of their lost in the post World War II to
make an agreement on the Treaty of San Fransisco so they can secure the Senkaku Islands
and also gain supporter as powerful as United States as their back up on the dispute of that
islands. Their achievement are the implication of their successful foreign policy that being
applied, Japan that has trade many manufactured goods to the most loyal customers which are
the South East Asia also supporting them to becoming global leading actor in terms of
economy, this which then proving that Japan are on their way to the top, not using the might
nor weapons to become powerful, but using strategic foreign affairs and knowledge of
international law.

From all the data above that being mentioned, its clear that the involvement of United
States and their ally are being explained by system level analysis. System level analysis itself
is a method comparing states behavior that are interacting each other which result an
influence that could shift states attributes (wealth, power, etc). This paper sees the pattern of
United States influence Japan foreign policy under the San Fransico Treaty, which then led
into the more official form of Yoshida Doctrine.

Conclusion
 Ramiza Ghaly Fadhilla Fitriadi 2101707996
Wendrik Sandwi Lukito 2101709881
Yulyana Agustine Bunanto 2101653942
In this last section of the essay, according to the findings this paper argue that Japan
Maritime Security Foreign Policy is influenced by accumulated treaties and doctrines that
occured in the post World War II era that shaped them into the economic power seeker. So
far, they are able to maintain the sovereignty within their maritime territory, with the proof of
Senkaku Island that still on their side of advantages and the huge support of South East Asian
members towards Japan due to their multilateral relationship on trading. All of these findings
and discussion always lead back into Japan ambition to keep on becoming relevant in this
world, in this way they are choosing to strengthen their economic as powerful as they could.

References
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Joshua, P., Rowan (2005). The U.S.-Japan Security Alliance, ASEAN, and the South China
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