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Which one of the following statements best reflects the issue with the Senkaku Islands, sometimes mentioned in the news?

  1. It is generally believed that they are artificial islands made by a country around the South China Sea.
  2. China and Japan engage in maritime disputes over these islands in the East China Sea.
  3. A permanent American military base has been set up there to help Taiwan to increase its defense capabilities.
  4. Though the International Court, of Justice, declared them as no man’s land, some Southeast Asian countries claim them.

Explanation

Option (b) is correct
  • Japan and China have been in a long-running dispute over the Senkaku islands that Beijing calls the Diaoyu. Currently, the Government of Japan controls and administers the territory. The Senkaku Islands are an uninhabited group of islands situated in the East China Sea. These islands are strategically located, rich in potential oil and natural gas resources, and situated in prime fishing areas. Control over them impacts military and shipping routes in the region.

Map showing air defense zones of China and Japan in East China Sea, highlighting overlapping areas near Taiwan and Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands. Zones are color-coded with purple for China and green for Japan, emphasizing territorial disputes in the region.

A few important island disputes that are frequently mentioned in the news:

  • Chagos Archipelago:
    • Disputed between the United Kingdom and Mauritius. Rececntly, United Kingdom (U.K.) has officially transferred sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

Map showing southern India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Chagos Archipelago with key locations like Colombo, Male, and Diego Garcia labeled. It highlights maritime features including Laccadive Sea, Palk Strait, Nine Degree and Eight Degree Channels, and marks Diego Garcia as a U.K. territory with a U.S. naval base.

  • Kuril Islands:
    • Disputed between Russia and Japan. Russia controls the islands, but Japan claims the four southernmost islands.
    • Disputed between Russia and Japan. Russia controls the islands.
    • The island chain stretches north across the Pacific Ocean from the Japanese island of Hokkaido to the southern tip of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula.
    • Four islands – which Russia calls the Southern Kurils and Japan calls the Northern Territories – are the subject of a 60-year-old dispute between the two nations.
  • Falkland Islands/Malvinas:
    • The isolated and sparsely-populated Falkland Islands, a British overseas territory in the south-west Atlantic Ocean, remain the subject of a sovereignty dispute between Britain and Argentina.
    • The UK controls the islands, but Argentina claims them as Malvinas.

Map showing southern tip of South America, including Tierra del Fuego, Falkland Islands, South Shetland Islands, and South Sandwich Islands, highlighting key waterways like Strait of Magellan, Drake Passage, and Bransfield Strait. Labels use red for major passages and blue for seas and trenches, with territorial notes indicating U.K. claims on Falkland and South Sandwich Islands.

  • Dokdo/ Takeshima: The island grouping at the centre of a diplomatic dispute between South Korea and Japan is known by several names.
  • Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa Isladns: It is a long-standing territorial conflict between Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
  • South China Sea Dispute:

A colorful map and infographic illustrate territorial disputes in South China Sea, focusing on overlapping claims by China, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. Key elements include the nine-dash line, marked in red, disputed islands like Paracel, Spratly, and Scarborough Shoal, and a legend showing exclusion economic zones with corresponding country flags.
Answer: (b) China and Japan engage in maritime disputes over these islands in the Easy China Sea; Difficulty Level: Medium
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