The relative calm in the waters of the western Pacific Rim has culminated in another small, quiet step toward dispute management. After two rounds of maritime talks, Japan and Taiwan signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) Dec. 20 over the disputed Okinotori Atoll. Japan has claimed that Okinotori is an island, which would make the waters within 200 nautical miles of its shores Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), a claim Taiwan rejects. The MoU essentially allows the two countries to collaborate on fishery, maritime rescue, policing and even scientific research around in waters near the disputed Okinotori atoll. However, details remain scant, and the two countries apparently made little progress toward a full resolution in talks. Still, both sides said they will resume talks and work to end their dispute next year, signaling a strengthening relationship between the two sides that not everyone will be excited about....
