This book provides an innovative outlook of the various challenges of international law in the Asian region. Moving away from the Eurocentrism prevalent in the literature on the subject, it provides a comprehensive Asian perspective without adopting a monolithic or homogeneous Asian approach. Although Asian countries converge on certain issues related to international law, such as engagement with the United Nations, at times, there is a significant divergence, such as in the case of agricultural trade liberalisation. Given the vastness of the region and the differing political systems, there are many discrepancies to consider. The book takes into account the viewpoint of civil society so as to avoid a vertical state‐centred approach. Offering an easy-to-understand presentation of key issues concerning the region, this book is a useful introduction to this complex topic for students, academics and practitioners of international law.

The growing economic and political significance of Asia has exposed a tension in the modern international order. Despite expanding power and influence, Asian states have played a minimal role in creating the norms and institutions of international law; today they are the least likely to be parties to international agreements or to be represented in international organizations. That is changing. There is widespread scholarly and practitioner interest in international law at present in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as developments in the practice of states. The change has been driven by threats as well as opportunities. Transnational issues such as climate change and occasional flashpoints like the the territorial disputes of the South China and the East China Seas pose challenges while economic integration and the proliferation of specialized branches of law and dispute settlement mechanisms have also encouraged greater domestic implementation of international norms across Asia. These evolutions join the long-standing interest in parts of Asia (notably South Asia) in post-colonial theory and the history of international law. The Oxford Handbook of International Law in Asia and the Pacific brings together pre-eminent and emerging specialists to analyse the approach to and influence of key states of the region, as well as whether truly 'Asian' trends can be identified and what this might mean for international order.

Since the conclusion of World War II, the legacy of militarism and colonialism in areas of Asia has left many unresolved conflicts, dividing parts of the region. This legacy has also contributed to the discourse of contemporary legal issues in the region, including territorial disputes, human rights, the environment, state responsibility, and international trade among others. This volume addresses salient international legal issues that flowed from the legacy of the region's historical experience with colonialism. The book specifically addresses topics including territorial boundary disputes, the law of the sea and maritime delimitation, international law and colonialism, responsibility to protect and international dispute resolution. This volume provides perspectives on these issues from prominent Asian legal scholars who analyze and discuss various ways in which international law and the international legal process can aid the resolution of these issues relevant to the region.

Since the end of the Cold War, Northeast Asia has been one of the most dynamic and dangerous parts of the world. Encompassing Japan, the People’s Republic of China, and North and South Korea, the region has undoubtedly acquired a greater global geopolitical and economic significance in recent years. Now home to two of the three largest economies in the world, with the exception of North Korea, all of the countries in the region experienced rapid economic development which has resulted in Northeast Asia accounting for one-fifth of world production, one-sixth of world trade, and one-half of the world’s foreign currency reserves. This great economic dynamism is complemented by the tremendous political forces that animate the region, such as China’s ascendency to a global power challenging the United States and the European Union, tensions over nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula, and Japan’s desire to validate itself as a legitimate international force with a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. All of these modern issues faced by the region are matters of international law. Northeast Asian Perspectives on International Law: Contemporary Issues and Challenges contends that international law is not only poised to take a bigger role in bringing about a resolution to these questions, but international lawyers of the region are working to bring about greater regional cooperation and integration as seen in other regions in the world. This edited volume was inspired by the first joint international academic conference of international lawyers from the Chinese Society of International Law, Japanese Society of International Law, and Korean Society of International Law which took place in Seoul, Korea on July 3, 2010. With a range of timely topics including, but not limited to, North Korean human rights, the South China Sea, and Japan’s efforts in UN peacekeeping operations, the esteemed contributors to Northeast Asian Perspectives on International Law: Contemporary Issues and Challenges examine how international law can promote peace and justice in Northeast Asia. Legal scholars, students of international law and international relations, policymakers and historians will find Northeast Asian Perspectives on International Law: Contemporary Issues and Challenges to be an invaluable resource.

As the worlds political and economic landscape changes in response to the rise of Asian countries such as China, so Asian influences on the global legal order will become more pronounced. Many countries in the region, such as Japan and South Korea, influence the development of international law in various ways, either individually or collectively through multinational organisations such as ASEAN. This collection of published work by leading East Asian scholars covers Asian perspectives concerning various issues in international law, ranging from general perspectives to particular themes such as international economic law, international human rights law, international ocean law, international criminal law, international security law and international dispute settlement. For the first time it provides a comprehensive picture of how and why East Asian countries participate in international law making, as well as comply with international law in their state practices. In so doing, the editors attempt to address the question whether the rising powers in East Asia will change the existing international legal order in future.

The chapters in this volume address international legal issues impacted by the legacy of the Asian region’s historical experience with colonialism and its current standing in the international system. This volume provides a perspective on these issues from Asian legal scholars who have embarked on an analysis and discussion of the various ways in which international law and the international legal process can resolve these issues in a manner that is appropriate for the region. The book examines the interconnections between diverse topics, such as current territorial disputes over maritime areas (which includes disputes over maritime delimitation) and the scope of exclusive economic zones in East and Southeast Asia, both of which are aspects of some of the critical political, economic, and legal issues presently confronting the region. These territorial and maritime disputes are partially due to the geography of the region, but the editors make a convincing argument for the genesis of these disputes being rooted in the legacy of the region’s colonial past; a legacy which has confounded attempts at resolution of these disputes and still deeply influences international relations in the region. Asian Approaches to International Law and the Legacy of Colonialism will be of particular interest to academics and students of International Law, Maritime Law and Asian Studies.

The Yearbook aims to promote research, studies and writings in the field of international law in Asia, as well as to provide an intellectual platform for the discussion and dissemination of Asian views and practices on contemporary international legal issues.