East China Sea: Preventing Clashes from Becoming 
Crises
East China Sea: Preventing Clashes from Becoming 
Crises
The Foreign Policy Implications of China’s Twentieth Party Congress
The Foreign Policy Implications of China’s Twentieth Party Congress
Chinese marine surveillance ship Haijian No. 51 (C) sails near Japan Coast Guard vessels (R and L) and a Japanese fishing boat (front 2nd L), East China Sea, 1 July 2013. REUTERS/Kyodo
Chinese marine surveillance ship Haijian No. 51 (C) sails near Japan Coast Guard vessels (R and L) and a Japanese fishing boat (front 2nd L), East China Sea, 1 July 2013. REUTERS/Kyodo
Report 280 / Asia

East China Sea: Preventing Clashes from Becoming 
Crises

Dangerous aerial and naval encounters are rising as China and Japan spar over disputed islands in the East China Sea. A promising reconciliation process has floundered. To prevent an accident tipping the dispute into open hostility, both sides urgently need a credible crisis management protocol to insulate any negotiations from their broader rivalry.