单方开发维护中国南海权益的作用研究

The Role of Unilateral Development in Protecting China’s rights and interests of the South China Sea

单方开发争议海域的油气资源,会形成对后续划界谈判产生重要影响的先存权事实,并可能损害其他争议方的跨界单一地质构造权利。国际法并不绝对禁止单方开发争议海域的油气资源,只禁止那些永久性改变海洋物理环境的单方开发行为。在其他争议方抢先单方开发的情况下,争议方同样可以进行单方开发,以此作为一种反措施。针对东盟申索国在南海争议海域的非法开采行为,中国应当将单方开发作为一种反措施,不仅可以强化中国的先存权事实,还可以保障中国的跨界单一地质构造权利。单方开发应当与共同开发分工维护中国南海权益。

Unilateral development of oil and gas in disputed waters will result in the fact of pre-existing right, which will have an important impact on subsequent delimitation negotiations, and may damage the rights of other disputing parties in trans-boundary single geological structure. International law does not absolutely prohibit unilateral development of oil and gas in disputed waters, but only those unilateral developments which permanently change the physical environment of the oceans. In the case of preemptive unilateral development by other disputing parties, the disputing party also can use unilateral development as a countermeasure. In view of the illegal development by ASEAN claimants in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, China should take unilateral development as a countermeasure, which can both strengthen the fact of China’s pre-existing right, and safeguard China’s right of trans-boundary single geological structure. Unilateral development should work together with joint development to protect China’s rights and interests of the South China Sea.