This map, created by Celia Hernando for El Orden Mundial in 2024, shows the territorial disputes in the eastern part of Asia.

The map clearly shows the large number of latent conflicts in the easternmost part of the Asian continent. Some of the most important historical disputes, such as Kashmir (between India, Pakistan and China), southern Tibet (between India and China), Taiwan (between Taiwan and China) and the Spratly Islands (between Brunei, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, China and Taiwan), are shown in more intense colours.

The vast majority of these conflicts date back many decades, such as the well-known case of the Kuril Islands, which have been disputed between Russia and Japan since World War II. Almost all remain in the form of unresolved political tension, but it is very rare for these disputes to escalate into armed conflict. The most notable exception is the continuing conflict between Pakistan and India, where exchanges of fire along the borderline are relatively common.

Sources

• Territorial disputes in Asia