I posted a new essay on the dispute between Japan and China concerning sovereignty over the Senkaku / Diaoyu Islands. Here’s the abstract:

Legal analyses on the sovereignty dispute over the Senkaku / Diaoyu Islands have been unkind to Japan. The literature is populated primarily with works by Chinese commentators who argue in favor of the Chinese claim, and by others who conclude that the applicable law is simply too indeterminate to support either party. Academic arguments favoring Japan are rare and incomplete. This is a surprising state of affairs, given that Japan actually has the better argument. The purpose of this paper is to explain why.

The essay is still just a draft, so I welcome feedback from anyone who is interested in the topic.