Why joint development agreements fail: implications for the South China Sea dispute/ Song Xue

This article discusses the conditions leading to the implementation failures of joint development agreements; the deterioration of bilateral relations, often arising from the maritime boundary dispute that the joint development agreement was supposed to resolve. The finding provides policy implications for the current boundary disputes in the South China Sea: improved bilateral relations is the prerequisite for the effective implementation of joint development ventures, and not the other way around. Littoral states should also not pursue joint development agreements as a false pretext to secretly consolidate their maritime boundary claims, or to confirm the status of a "dispute". Furthermore, successful negotiations for a Code of Conduct for the South China Sea may help to create a conducive atmosphere for claimant states to agree on the joint development of offshore hydrocarbon resources.

SCSEA