 Deal pragmatic and without prejudice: Expert
(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-06-19 07:25 The Sino-Japanese agreement to jointly explore the gas field in the East China Sea is "flexible", "pragmatic" and serves the interests of both sides, an expert on international law said yesterday. "The agreement is flexible and pragmatic and without prejudice to either side's legal position," Liu Nanlai, an expert with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said in an article on the Global Times' website. Terms such as "transitional period" and "provisional arrangements" mentioned in the agreement comply with international law and practice. According to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, signed in 1982, countries that have differences over the delimitation of sea areas can "enter into provisional arrangements of a practical nature" before the final delimitation. And such arrangements should not be prejudiced against either of the countries or the final delimitation. More than 20 such agreements have been signed across the world till now to solve the delimitation problem, Liu said. The agreement has three important features. First, the area for joint exploration "is not big". It covers only about 2,600 sq km. But it has a very strong symbolic meaning. "It can be regarded as an experiment, and the two countries are likely to continue the joint exploration scheme in other areas of the East China Sea." Second, the jointly recognized "principle of reciprocity" will help in joint investments, joint explorations and sharing of resources in the chosen area. Third, the agreement is "provisional" and "principled" in nature and requires equal consultation and pragmatic cooperation for implementation. But has China changed its stance on the East China Sea? Liu said the agreement did not undermine the legal position of either China or Japan. Xinhua (China Daily 06/19/2008 page1) |
