Economic cooperation and interdependence and potentially escalating tensions are two sides of the same coin called „Geopolitical Relations in East Asia“. This thesis aims to show how the interpretation of territory, natural resources and power distribution interplay with one another in characterizing geopolitical relations among the East Asian countries. By first reviewing the political relations from 1850 to present day the emphasis is put on the historical processes that have shaped today's relations and how they developed the balance of power among the East Asian Quadrilateral. The international relations in East Asia are then analyzed through the lenses of maritime territorial disputes, opposite to the continental disputes like the Korean Peninsula, Baekdu Mountain, Shipki Pass, Jiandao, Arunachal Pradesh etc., which will be given special attention in this paper. In the end, the flaws in international maritime law, which offers no specific measures in resolving maritime disputes, will be presented, which currently leaves joint exploration and development of resources in disputed areas with the shelving of the sovereignty question as the only solution to the problem.