Diaoyu/Senkaku Dispute and its Impact on Sino-Japan Relations
Dingping Guo
Fudan University/Nottingham University
【abstract】The Diaoyu/Senkaku dispute between China and Japan has been attracted more
and more attention from not only Asia-Pacific areas but also the whole international
community after Japanese government decided to nationalize the small islands on East
China Sea by purchasing from a so-called private owner on September 11, 2012. Since this
issue has been covered extensively, this lecture is designed to go deeper and further, and
try to analyse the historical background and future development of the Diaoyu/Senkaku
dispute. First, some important historical documents in China and Japan will be investigated
in order to shed light on the key points of views maintained by the two governments.
Second, the root causes of the decision by Japanese government will be explored and
explained from the political changes at domestic and international levels. Third, the
scenarios of the Diaoyu/Senkaku dispute in particular and Sino-Japanese relations in general
will be discussed.
【author】Dingping Guo, professor of political science, School of International Relations and
Public Affairs, Fudan University; concurrently serving as Chinese Director of the Confucius
Institute at the University of Nottingham. Before joining in Nottingham in 2012, he had been
Vice-Dean of the Institute of International Studies (2009-2012); Director of the Center for
Japanese Studies (2008-2012) at Fudan University. His research interests focus on
Comparative Politics, especially East Asian politics. His publications include books such as
Culture and Democracy (editor, Fudan Political Science Series No. 8, Shanghai People's Press,
2010), Studies of Political and Diplomatic Transformation in Japan (editor, Fudan University
Press, 2010), The Community-Building in East Asia: Theory and Practice. (editor, Fudan
University Press, 2008), Governance and Democracy in Shanghai (Chongqing Press，2005),
A Study of the Democratic Transition in Korea (Beijing: Social Science Press of China, 2000),
Political Parties and Government (Hangzhou: Zhejiang People's Press, 1998), Pluralist Politics
(Hong Kong: Joint Publishing House,1994), and many articles and essays in Chinese, English
and Japanese.