Political science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Political science - Essay Example The US has no official position regarding the islands but they are included in the US and Japan’s Treaty of Mutual Security and Cooperation, which ensures that any attack on the island would require the USD to aid Japan. The Government of Japan bought three of the remaining disputed islands from private ownership, triggering a wave of anti-Japan protests in China (Lohmeyer, 2008). In this case, the ESCAP and the ARF should be involved in trying to resolve the issue, even though the conflict has not degenerated into war because the liberal international theory seems to relate best to the situation. What regional and international organizations would or should have involvement? Why? ESCAP, the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the pacific is the UN’s regional arm for the Pacific and Asian region. Its establishment was meant to encourage its member states, of which China and Japan are part of, to cooperate economically (Niksch, 2010). Because China and Japan are major trading partners, keeping the peace between them and attempting to resolve the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands dispute can be carried out through the international body under the auspice of its mother organization, the UN. As well as Asian and Pacific countries, it also includes countries like the US, the UK, the Netherlands, and France, which are all trading partners with both Japan and China. Because of this, they could apply economic pressure through the organization to broker a resolution. In addition, the identification by ESCAP of potential gas and oil deposits near the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands puts it in a vantage position in brokering any lasting resolution to the conflict, especially since one of the reasons the islands is under dispute stems from these fossil fuel deposits. They did attempt to mediate rounds of bilateral talks aimed at developing the resources jointly in these disputed territory, although they proved unsuccessful (Niksch, 2010). However, the fact that they were able to get the two countries on the negotiating table indicates their influence in both countries. They also managed to agree to a hotline between the two countries to diffuse any accidental situation, although, this has not also been implemented. The ARF, or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum, is a regional body that could also mediate in the conflict. The US also possesses membership to this organization and participates actively in maritime security cooperation. The US, which has trading relations with both China and Japan, has the ability to mediate in the conflict, which possesses maritime dimensions (Niksch, 2010). The organization also seeks to strengthen earlier efforts aimed at key elements of countering and preventing maritime conflicts and terrorism in the region. Subsequent events, which have been hosted by Japan at one time, also focus on expansion of capacity building cooperation for maritime security (Niksch, 2010). Foreign ministers from the ARF adopted, in 2005, a statement that aimed at sharing of information and exchange of intelligence in the enhancement of cooperation in combating transnational crimes in the region. The provocative actions by China in locking missile guiding systems on Japanese aircraft and vessels should be discussed under this agreement. How does this dispute