The Study On Joint Development Of Oil & Gas Resources In South China Sea

The dispute of the South China Sea is the most complicated maritime rights dispute involving the largest number of countries. China has advocated that we should shelve disputes and carry out joint development in controversial areas of the South China Sea; while it is difficult to achieve the real practices development. But during the practices, it is hard not to observe numerous restrictive factors resulted in the situation. International Law of the sea has prescribed that the related countries are liable to make every effort to make an interim arrangement upon the management and utilization of maritime space after coming an agreement on maritime delimitation.Joint development, that is the interim arrangement with broad adoption on solving the dispute of maritime delimitation, which, now has been acknowledged in international practices.In some international joint development cases, some modes are well worth investigation and conclusion, which could provide methods for the increasingly tense dispute in the true sense. The paper has put an emphasis on the basic information of joint development and all kinds of restrictive factors in South China Sea. Through analyzing the international cases, the paper has explained the reason of joint development from different angles and has concluded its basic principles, basic modes and specific ways. Meanwhile, categorizing and concluding the experiences on dealing with sovereign issues, benefit distribution, joint management, and dispute settlement, etc. it is beneficial for guiding the cooperative path.If the South China Sea dispute could be solved properly, all countries in this dispute will enhance the mutual understanding and trust, energetically explore new ideas, treat and settle the dispute in the light of development and create favorable conditions for the final solution. China will learn the experience and inspiration from the successful international joint development cases, effectively accelerate the joint development plan, strengthen the coordination and cooperation of regional benefit with surrounding countries, turn China's scale of problem-solving, and safeguard the sovereignty and maritime rights over the islands in the South China Sea.