The ongoing — and some would say, worsening — tension between China and Japan over disputed islands in the East China Sea frequently makes headlines. But often overlooked are the dozen or so other rival territorial claims across Asia that could erupt into wars, dragging in neighboring countries or the U.S.
Business Insider has compiled this extensive map of 18 disputes that are potential flashpoints throughout the continent. As the accompanying article notes:
The borders in Asia aren’t nearly as fixed as they might seem. China and India, the two most populous countries in the world, have numerous simmering boundary disputes. So do regional powers like Russia and Japan, along with more peripheral players in central Asia and the South China Sea.
As the U.S. makes a military and strategic “pivot to Asia,” it is entering a highly complex and fluid geopolitical environment.
That’s an understatement.
