China’s placement of an oil rig in the East Sea is for political, not economic, purpose, a US scholar has affirmed.
In his interview granted to the New York Times on the issue on May 9, Taylor Fravel, an associate professor of political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said that economically, the area where the rig will drill has few proven or probable hydrocarbon reserves.
The rig, which cost 1 billion USD to build, is extremely expensive to operate on a daily basis, he said.
Regarding Vietnam ‘s legal foundations, the professor affirmed that the rig is located within an exclusive economic zone that Vietnam claims from its own coastline.
“China ‘s action can only harden the perception among other states with claims in the South China Sea that China harbors aggressive intentions and preference for unilateral action,” he stated.
Nevertheless, Chinese actions in the past few years, such as inviting foreign oil companies to invest in exploration blocks off the coast of Vietnam, indicate that China may favour a more expansive definition, he concluded.-VNA
Đăng ký: VietNam News