China’s Military Modernization, Japan’s Normalization and the South China Sea Territorial Disputes (2019)

This book assesses the Sino-Japanese strategic competition in the context of the South China Sea (SCS) territorial disputes. The South China Sea territorial disputes are quickly becoming the most significant security problem in East and Southeast Asia. Two major powers, China and Japan, have interests in the region and are pursuing different strategies that can significantly impact the outcome of the disputes. Utilizing Securitization Theory, this study evaluates the Sino-Japanese strategic competition through political narratives that galvanize the military and economic policies that are transforming the region. It highlights how these narratives, so closely bounded to the political legitimacy of current governments and supported by provocative policies, have resulted in a co-constitutive pattern of enmity and securitization, thus making it increasingly difficult to resolve the disputes. Zenel Garcia is Visiting Assistant Professor at St. Lawrence University, USA. His research focuses on Foreign Policy and Security Studies with a concentration in East Asia Front Matter ....Pages i-xi Introduction (Zenel Garcia)....Pages 1-15 The South China Sea Disputes (Zenel Garcia)....Pages 17-34 Sino-Japanese Security Relations (Zenel Garcia)....Pages 35-44 China’s Military Modernization (Zenel Garcia)....Pages 45-59 Japan’s Normalization (Zenel Garcia)....Pages 61-77 Republic of the Philippines Case Study (Zenel Garcia)....Pages 79-94 Socialist Republic of Vietnam Case Study (Zenel Garcia)....Pages 95-108 Conclusion (Zenel Garcia)....Pages 109-124 Back Matter ....Pages 125-143