China sees no solution in sight to territorial disputes over potentially oil-rich South China Sea regions so it has begun to discuss possible joint projects with other claimant countries to avoid confrontations, a Chinese official said yesterday.
A joint scientific study by China, the Philippines and Vietnam to determine the prospects of striking oil or gas in a part of the contested region called the Spratlys is a model that Beijing seeks to undertake with other claimants, Philippines Ambassador Liu Jianchao said.
Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam claim all or part of about 100 Spratly islets, reefs and atolls that are believed to be sitting atop vast deposits of oil and natural gas reserves. The largely uninhabited islands and surrounding waters straddle busy sea lanes and are rich fishing grounds.
The disputed islands are regarded a potential flash point for conflict in Asia.
The battle for ownership of the region has settled into an uneasy standoff since the last fighting, involving China and Vietnam, killed more than 70 Vietnamese sailors in 1988.
"I think the settlement of the issue will take a very long time," Mr Liu said,citing a China-Russia border problem that took more than 50 years to resolve.
China wants to settle the disputes peacefully by engaging each claimant country in bilateral negotiations. It has opposed any attempt to include outsiders like the US or Asean in talks.
Resolving the issue will be complex,but China wants to enter into joint projects with other claimant countries to build confidence and "move forward",Mr Liu said. With confidence-building projects, there will be "less chance of confrontation", he added.
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