An Analysis Of The Economic Motivation Of The Dispute Over Sea Power In South China

The contention for thalassocracy over South China Sea has been there for ages, with no concession made by any party involved. Although China’s dominion over South China Sea is specified in the international laws, neighboring countries paid no heed. As a vital route of ancient Maritime Silk Road and a major channel for cultural exchange and trade flow between East and West, South China Sea holds extreme strategic importance to China and adjacent countries.Being the one of the busiest traffic lines of world shipping, South China Sea connects Europe, Central Asia and Far East, playing a pivotal role in global maritime transportation. As everyone knows, Strait of Malacca and Strait of Makassar is prominent traffic pivot, while South China Sea exerts a great influence to these transport corridors. Besides, South China Sea maintains the contact and intercourse between China and the rest of the world. Studies on South China Sea are self-evidently crucial to the safeguard of China’s national sovereignty.The conflicts around South China Sea which is becoming increasingly fierce, was induced by the grab of waters and islands and reefs in South China Sea by neighboring countries, which dates back to 1960s and 1970s when a large amount of energy resources was discovered in South China Sea. In order to take a share, surrounding countries began to encroach on South China Sea one after another. Since then, the resources of South China Sea have been unbridledly plundered and’exploited. A multitude of oil and gas fields can be found in South China Sea, while few of them belong to China. As we all know, in a time of speedy development, the demand of resources has risen to an unprecedented height, no matter for China and for other countries. So the resources in South China Sea prove decisive in shaping the country’s future economy. Economic factors lead to the exacerbation and stalemate of the disputes around South China Sea, so to speak."Shelving Disputes for Joint Development" is the guideline of China for dealing with territory issues. Since the unjustifiable appropriation of South China Sea by neighboring countries is an established fact, how can we keep on implementing this principle and endow it with zeitgeist, and thus make it contributing to the settlement of disputes, is also what we will discuss in this paper.