论国际投资法在国际海底区域开发中的适用及对中国的启示

On the Application of International Investment Law in International Seabed Exploitation and Its Enlightenment to China

当前,对国际海底区域内矿产资源的勘探开发已经走向现实,外国投资者参与国际海底区域的勘探开发也变得愈发普遍。但是,由于《联合国海洋法公约》没有专门提供一套全面解决担保国与承包者之间争端的机制,导致外国投资者在参与国际海底区域勘探开发时面临着自身权益保障不足的困境。从国际投资法的层面考察,外国投资者在担保国设立承包者的行为构成国际私人直接投资的行为,从而可以适用现有的双边或多边投资条约来保障自身权益。作为担保国和东道国,中国应当在切实遵守国际投资法“公平公正待遇”标准的基础上,及时制定国际海底区域资源勘探、开发许可监督检查制度等。作为外国投资者,中国企业在参与国际海底区域勘探开发时应重视对国际海底区域海洋环境的保护。

At present,the exploration and development of mineral resources in the international seabed area has moved to reality,and the participation of foreign investors in the exploration and development of the international seabed area has become more and more common.However,because the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea does not specifically provide a set of mechanisms to comprehensively resolve disputes between sponsoring States and business entities,foreign investors are faced with the difficult of insufficient protection of their rights and interests when participating in the exploration and development of the international seabed area.From the perspective of international investment law,the act of foreign investors establishing business entities in the sponsoring state constitutes an act of international private direct investment,thus existing bilateral or multilateral investment treaties can be applied to protect their own rights and interests.As a sponsoring state and a host country,China should,on the basis of earnestly observing the"fair and equitable treatment"standard in the international investment law,promptly formulate a supervision and inspection system for the exploration and exploitation of resources in the international seabed area.As foreign investors,Chinese enterprises should pay attention to the protection of the marine environment in the international seabed area when participating in the exploration and development of the international seabed area.