Analysis Of The Continental Shelf At The East Sea Issue And Sino-Japanese Relations

The relation between China and Japan is one of the most important relations between great nations in the world's modern political situation,as well as one of the most importtant bilateral relations in the Asia-Pacific Area.The development of the relationship between the two nations relates to many factors like politics,economy,culture and others. It's formation has profound historical and realistic reasons,which range from the competition of materaial benefit in power and tactics,to the adjustment process of thoughts, culture and mind.Particularly,along with the further development of inter-dependent relationship of international politics,economy and culture,and along with the muiti-development of the international community,the relationship between China and Japan shows more complicated features.Nowadays,there are three main factors affecting the smooth development between the two countries:issues concerning history and textbooks,issues of visiting the Yasukuni Shrine,and issues concerning East China Sea and Diaoyu Islands.(For convenience,we just call it "the continental shelf at the East Sea" issue).These three issues have been existing for a long time,they are inextricably interwoven,and have,to a great extent,caused much negative impact for the normal development between China and Japan.Among these issues,the continental shelf at the East Sea issue is a bottleneck that has deeply influenced the China-Japan relation.Then, why has the continental shelf at the East Sea issue transformed into the sturctural factor affecting the relation between Chian and Japan? Has the current agreement on developing the oil and natural gas field and economic coorperation solved the fundamental divergence caused by the continental shelf at the East Sea issue? What kind of "Shelved" problems still remain to be settled between the two countries? How about the prospect? Based on the consideration of the above issues,this article maily analyzes the formation of the continental shelf at the East Sea issue,the different stand points of the two countries concerning this issue,and the focus of the argument.Besides,this thesis also analyzes the conditions and main content of "East Sea Agreement",and its significance to the development of China-Japan relation from the visual angle of the theory of main current intenational relations.This thesis holds the view that laying aside the dispute of the sovereignty and developing the erea with joint power are considered to be the only available and practical plan that could benefit both nations and avoid further dipute in the delimition of Diaoyu Islands and the continental shelf at the East Sea.Of course,the achievement of such an agreement does not indicate that it will be quite smooth in the operation of East Sea Oil Field for Chian and Japan.There is still a long way between the agreement and the practical operation.To seek the good and healthy development of the two nations,both China and Japan need to settle divergence fundamentally by developing active and concrete foreign relations through joint efforts and through abiding by the international law and the international terms.