Beyond Territorial Disputes in the South China Sea: Legal Frameworks for the Joint Development of Hydrocarbon Resources(NUS Centre for International Law series)

This highly informative and up-to-date book brings together expert scholars in law of the sea to explore the legal and geopolitical aspects of the South China Sea disputes and provide an in-depth examination on the prospects of joint development in the South China Sea. The South China Sea has long been regarded as a source of conflict and tension in Asia. Underlying this conflict is the dispute between China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei over the features in the South China Sea, as well as the resources in the surrounding waters. One viable solution is for the claimants to set aside their claims and jointly develop the hydrocarbon resources in the South China Sea. Unlike previous works, this book takes a unique approach by examining existing joint development arrangements in Asia to see if there are any 'lessons learnt' that may be applicable to the South China Sea. This approach has enabled the editors to move beyond a mere theoretical discussion on joint development and focus on the law, policy and practical issues related to joint development. Beyond Territorial Disputes in the South China Sea will strongly appeal to Government officials, policy-makers from ASEAN Countries, China and the United States, as well as academics, particularly those who are involved in legal scholarship on the South China Sea disputes. Practitioners of oil and gas law will also find much to benefit them in this book. Contributors: V. Becker-Weinberg, R. Beckman, L. Bernard, P. Cameron, T. Davenport, R. James, S. Jayakumar, S. Kaye, G. MacLaren, B. Milligan, R. Nowinski, D.M. Ong, C. Schofield, I. Townsend-Gault

Table of Contents:
Contents: Preface S. Jayakumar Introduction: Why Joint Development in the South China Sea? Robert Beckman, Clive Schofield, Ian Townsend-Gault, Tara Davenport and Leonardo Bernard PART I: UNDERSTANDING THE SOUTH CHINA SEA DISPUTES 1. What’s at Stake in the South China Sea? Geographical and Geopolitical Considerations Clive Schofield 2. International Law, UNCLOS and the South China Sea Robert Beckman PART II: JOINT DEVELOPMENT: PRINCIPLES, PRE-REQUISITES AND PROVISIONS 3. The Exploration and Exploitation of Hydrocarbon Resources in Areas of Overlapping Claims Tara Davenport 4. Rationale for Zones of Co-operation Ian Townsend-Gault 5. Negotiating Joint Development Agreements Gavin MacLaren and Rebecca James 6. Joint Development Arrangements: Legal Structure and Key Issues Peter Cameron and Richard Nowinski PART III: JOINT DEVELOPMENTS AND OTHER PROVISIONAL ARRANGEMENTS IN ASIA 7. Implications of Recent Southeast Asian State Practice for the International Law on Offshore Joint Development David M. Ong 8. Joint Development Arrangements in Northeast Asia and the Gulf of Tonkin Vasco Becker-Weinberg 9. Joint Development in the Timor Sea Stuart Kaye 10. The Australian–Papua New Guinea Torres Strait Treaty: A Model for Co-operative Management of the South China Sea? Ben Milligan PART IV: CONCLUSIONS: JOINT DEVELOPMENT IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA 11. Factors Conducive to Joint Development in Asia – Lessons Learned for the South China Sea Robert Beckman, Clive Schofield, Ian Townsend-Gault, Tara Davenport and Leonardo Bernard 12. Moving Forward on Joint Development in the South China Sea Robert Beckman, Clive Schofield, Ian Townsend-Gault, Tara Davenport and Leonardo Bernard Index

About the Author :
Edited by Robert Beckman, Associate Professor, Head of the Ocean Law and Policy Programme, Centre for International Law, National University of Singapore, the late Ian Townsend-Gault, formerly University of British Columbia, Canada, Clive Schofield, World Maritime University, Sweden, Tara Davenport, Global Associate, Centre for International Law, National University of Singapore and Leonardo Bernard, Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS), University of Wollongong, Australia

Review :
The book has been written by many highly qualified observers and academicians that have spent a lot of time observing and analyzing the recent developments in the South China Sea, particularly those relating to the dispute and way of overcoming them. I do hope that this publication will throw some light on such important matters and indicate possible roads to follow in solving the territorial disputes through joint development concept. --Djalal Hasjim, Director of Southeast Asian Studies, Jakarta, Indonesia'Beyond Territorial Disputes in the South China Sea: Legal Frameworks for the Joint Development of Hydrocarbon Resources is an excellent work of collective wisdom on solving the disputes in the South China Sea region. This book is informative and pragmatic in its academic nature. In addition, it is also important for providing a great amount of legal discussion on solving the South China Sea disputes through the construction of joint development mechanisms.' --Kuan-Hsiung Wang, Pacific Affairs 'The book has been written by many highly qualified observers and academicians that have spent a lot of time observing and analyzing the recent developments in the South China Sea, particularly those relating to the dispute and way of overcoming them. I do hope that this publication will throw some light on such important matters and indicate possible roads to follow in solving the territorial disputes through joint development concept.' --Hasjim Djalal, Director of Southeast Asian Studies, Jakarta, Indonesia