The UNCLOS and Territorial Conflicts in Northeast Asia

The UNCLOS and Territorial Conflicts in Northeast Asia

According to the neoliberal conventional wisdom, international regimes promote cooperation among nations, yet the UNCLOS regime seems unlikely to promote cooperation among China, Japan, and Korea. Why does the conventional wisdom not work in Northeast Asia? As opposed to traditional IR perspectives, like neoliberalism and neorealism. I argue a historical approach is instrumental to solving this puzzle. Because of the internal limit and the goal of the UNCLOS itself, the regime is unlikely to help cooperation among states in the region. In addition, exclusive nationalism, inveterate distrust, and territorial disputes among states in the region are significant obstacles in cooperation under the UNCLOS regime. These particular obstacles are the result of historical circumstances.