1. Introduction

Since 2011, rising tensions in the East and South China Seas have been garnering diplomatic and media attention in and outside the region. East Asian maritime borders, whether fixed during colonial eras or the Cold War, have never been immutable. Yet with the rival claimant countries rapidly improving their naval and coast guard capabilities and with surging nationalism in their domestic politics, there are increasing discussions about the risk that maritime disputes will lead to military clashes in the Asian waters. Theories and suppositions also abound from geo-political analysts and netizens on the strategic intentions of the contending countries involved and the restructuring of their intra- and extra-regional alliances.