To whom belong the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands under public international law?

The territorial conflict over the Diaoyu / Senkaku Islands sovereignty has dragged on since the 1970s. Today, Japan administers the islands, which are also claimed by Taiwan and the People´s Republic of China. All claimants use historical evidence to bolster the legal strength of their claim. The dispute over the islands is also linked to other important factors, such as nationalism in an irreconciled international environment and the rights to exploitation of natural resources. The unresolved Taiwan / China question puts another burden on its resolution. This particular conflict will be compared with other similar remote islands, which already have been subject to a legal procedure and, in some cases, resolution. This thesis aims to outline the impediments involved in a potential legal resolution without ignoring the political and other relevant facts. Given the regional political setting, the only viable resolution is likely to be more political than legal. This thesis aims to propose a joint development scheme on basis of other previously settled territorial disputes.