Realism As It Relates to the Diaoyu-Senkaku Island Dispute
China and Japan; two of the most powerful countries in the world, clashing over 7 square kilometers of island space. While it may seem counterintuitive for two superpowers to fight over such a small amount of land, the reasons behind these actions are explicable by the Realist school of thought. The tensions at play here are occurring as a result of the inherent power struggle described by Realism, wherein actors are constantly attempting to supersede one another’s dominance, thwarting even a semblance of peace while the power is out of balance.
The strain surrounding these islands shows this lack of balance between the two countries: the islands represent an imbalance of power between them. Given their history of war and military aggression towards each other, the terse relationship over a valuable military resource becomes that much more provocative for both sides when set in the international stage.
The hardline stances developed by both countries demonstrate this: China openly refers to Japanese utilization of the island as theft (“The Diaoyu Islands”).
As China and Japan are geographically located near each other, it makes sense …show more content…
Contrast this monetary sum to the unknown damage that would be dealt to the side that hypothetically backs down, which would show that the country in question is unprepared to fight for their stake. This would possibly make the country a target for military aggressions from other countries as well. Therefore, it is much more sensible to ascribe the strain between the two countries to an issue of international presence: neither side wants to appear weak. Fear as a motivating factor, a key thought within the Realist framework, fits the narrative more precisely than greed to exploit a natural
China and Japan; two of the most powerful countries in the world, clashing over 7 square kilometers of island space. While it may seem counterintuitive for two superpowers to fight over such a small amount of land, the reasons behind these actions are explicable by the Realist school of thought. The tensions at play here are occurring as a result of the inherent power struggle described by Realism, wherein actors are constantly attempting to supersede one another’s dominance, thwarting even a semblance of peace while the power is out of balance.
The strain surrounding these islands shows this lack of balance between the two countries: the islands represent an imbalance of power between them. Given their history of war and military aggression towards each other, the terse relationship over a valuable military resource becomes that much more provocative for both sides when set in the international stage.
The hardline stances developed by both countries demonstrate this: China openly refers to Japanese utilization of the island as theft (“The Diaoyu Islands”).
As China and Japan are geographically located near each other, it makes sense …show more content…
Contrast this monetary sum to the unknown damage that would be dealt to the side that hypothetically backs down, which would show that the country in question is unprepared to fight for their stake. This would possibly make the country a target for military aggressions from other countries as well. Therefore, it is much more sensible to ascribe the strain between the two countries to an issue of international presence: neither side wants to appear weak. Fear as a motivating factor, a key thought within the Realist framework, fits the narrative more precisely than greed to exploit a natural