Legal Problems of Seabed Boundary Delimitation in the East China
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OccAsioNAl PApERS/ REpRiNTS SERiES 0 iN CoNTEMpORARY • AsiAN STudiEs NUMBER 3 - 1984 (62) LEGAL PROBLEMS OF SEABED BOUNDARY DELIMITATION IN THE ' EAST CHINA SEA :' Ylng-Jeou Ma, with A Foreward by Louis B. Sohn ScltoolofLAw UNivERsiTy of MARylANd. ~ Occasional Papers/Reprint Series in Contemporary Asian Studies General Editor: Hungdah Chiu Executive Editor: Mitchell A. Silk Acting Managing Editor: Shaiw-chei Chuang Editorial Advisory Board Professor Robert A. Scalapino, University of California at Berkeley Professor Martin Wilbur, Columbia University Professor Gaston J. Sigur, George Washington University Professor Shao-chuan Leng, University of Virginia Professor Lawrence W. Beer, Lafayette College Professor James Hsiung, New York University Dr. Lih-wu Han, Political Science Association of the Republic of China Professor J. S. Prybyla, The Pennsylvania State University Professor Toshio Sawada, Sophia University, Japan Professor Gottfried-Karl Kindermann, Center for International Politics, University of Munich, Federal Republic of Germany Professor Choon-ho Park, College of Law and East Asian Law of the Sea Institute, Korea University, Republic of Korea Published with the cooperation of the Maryland International Law Society All contributions (in English only) and communications should be sent to Professor Hungdah Chiu, University of Maryland School of Law, 500 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21201 USA. All publications in this series reflect only the views of the authors. While the editor accepts responsibility for the selection of materials to be published, the individual author is responsible for statements of facts and expressions of opinion contained therein. Subscription is US $15.00 for 6 issues (regardless of the price of individual issues) in the United States and Canada and $20.00 for overseas. Check should be addressed to OPRSCAS and sent to Professor Hungdah Chiu. Price for single copy of this issue: US $10.00 (paperback) $15 (hardcover) © 1984 by Occasional Papers/Reprint Series in Contemporary Asian Studies, Inc. ISSN 0730-0107 ISBN 0-942182-62-6 (paperback) ISBN 0-942182-63-4 (hardcover) U.S. Library of Congress Catalog No. 84-062052 LEGALPROBLEMSOFSEABED BOUNDARY DELIMITATION IN THE EAST CHINA SEA Ying-jeou Ma, with a Foreward by Professor Louis B. Sohn Published by Baltimore: OCCASIONAL PAPERS/REPRINTS SERIES IN CONTEMPORARY ASIAN STUDIES, INC., 1984. MARYLAND STUDIES IN EAST ASIAN LAW AND POLITICS SERIES (The following books are published under the auspices or co-aus pices of the East Asian Legal Studies Program of the University of Maryland School of Law. The views expressed in each book re flect only those of the author. All books published in hard cover edition.) 1. Hungdah Chiu, China and the Taiwan Issue. New York: Praeger Pub lishers, A Division of Holt, Rinehart and Winston/CBS, Inc., 1979. 295 pp. (ISBN No.: 0-03-048911-3) $34.95 2. Hungdah Chiu, Agreements of the People's Republic of China, 1966- I980: A Calendar. New York: Praeger Publishers, A Division of Holt, Rinehart and Winston/CBS, Inc., 1981. 329 pp. (ISBN No.: 0-03-059443-X) $39.95 3. David Salem, The People's Republic of China, International Law and Arms Control Baltimore: University of Maryland School of Law OPRSCAS,* 1983. 325 pp. (ISBN No.: 0-942182-59-6) $15.00 4. Ying-jeou Ma, Legal Problems of Sea/Jed Boundary Delimitation in the East China Sea. Baltimore: University of Maryland OPRSCAS, * 1984. About 300 pp. (ISBN No.: 0-942182-63-4) $15.00 5. Hungdah Chiu and Shao-chuan Leng, editors, China: 70 Years After the 191I Hsin-ltai Revolution. Charlottesville, Virginia: University Press of Virginia, 1984. 600 pp. (Published under the co-auspices of the Committee on Asian Stud ies, University of Virginia.) ISBN No. 0-8139-1027-7. $20.00 Forthcoming 6. Shao-chuan Leng and Hungdah Chiu, Criminal Justice in Post-Mao China. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press, 1985. 295 pp. (Published under the co-auspices of Committee on Asian Studies, University of Virginia.) ISBN No. and price not yet available. • Occasional Papers/Reprints Series in Contemporary Asian Studies, Inc., 500 West Baltimore St., Baltimore, Maryland 21201. (Tel. (301) 528-3870). TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWARD BY PROFESSOR LOUIS B. SOHN . vu ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . ix LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS.................................. xi INTRODUCTION . 1 PART I THE SETTING: THE EAST CHINA SEA OIL DISPUTES Chapter 1: East China Sea: Geophysical Environment and the Potential for Hydrocarbons.................. 9 A. Geography. 9 B. Geomorphology.................................... 10 C. Geology . 11 I. Introduction . 11 a. Marine Geology. 12 b. Petroleum Geology.......................... 14 c. Offshore Oil Operation...................... 14 2. State of Research on East Asia's Seabed . 15 3. Regional Geology . 16 4. Distribution of Sediments. 18 D. Potential for Hydrocarbons . 18 Chapter 2: Claims and Moves of the Coastal States. 23 A. The Republic of Korea . 26 I. Claims and Concession Areas. 26 2. Principles of International Law Employed . 27 3. Offshore Exploration . 29 4. Joint Development with Japan.................. 31 B. Japan.............................................. 32 I. Claims and Concession Areas. 33 2. Principles of International Law Employed . 35 3. Offshore Exploration . 37 4. Joint Development with the ROK . 38 C. The Republic of China. 38 I. Claims and Concession Areas. 39 2. Principles of International Law Employed . 42 3. Offshore Exploration . 43 (a) Amoco.......... 44 (b) Conoco . 44 (c) Gulf....................................... 45 (d) Oceanic.................................... 46 (e) Clinton . 47 (f) Texfel . 47 (g) CPC....................................... 48 (i) D. The People's Republic of China ................... 48 1. Claims and Concession Areas .................. 50 2. Principles of International Law Employed ..... 52 3. Offshore Exploration .......................... 54 Chapter 3: Conflicts of Claims and Concession Areas ...... 57 A. The ROK and Japan .............................. 58 B. The ROK and China (the ROC and the PRC) .... 59 1. The ROK and the ROC ...................... .. 59 2. The ROK and the PRC ...................... .. 60 C. Japan and China (the ROC and the PRC) ........ 62 1. Japan and the ROC ........................... 63 2. Japan and the PRC ............................ 64 D. The ROC and the PRC .......................... .. 65 E. Summary ......................................... 67 PART II THE MARITIME JURISDICTIONAL DISPUTES: WHO MAY OWN THE UNDERSEA OIL? Chapter 4: Relevance of the Tiao-yu-t'ai (Senkaku) Islets Territorial Dispute ............................. 69 A. The Tiao-yu-t'ai Islets: Geographical Context ..... 71 B. The Regime of Islands in International Law Regard- ing Seabed Rights ................................. 72 1. International Legislation ....................... 73 2. Other Sources of International Law ............ 78 (a) State Practice ............................. 78 (b) International Adjudication ................ 81 C. The Tiao-yu-t'ai Dispute: Is It Relevant to the East Asian Seabed Controversy? ..................... 86 1. Under Existing and Emerging Conventional In- ternational Law ............................... 87 (a) Existing Conventional Law ................ 87 (b) Emerging Conventional Law .............. 87 ( 1) Should the ROC be Bound by the LOS Convention? ......................... 88 (2) Article 121 of the LOS Convention: An Analysis ............................... 89 (3) Applying Article 121 to the Tiao-yu-t'ais 92 2. Under Customary International Law ........... 95 (a) State Practice ............................. 95 (1) Full Effect to Midway Islands .......... 95 (2) Partial Effect to Midway Islands ....... 97 (3) No Effect to Midway Islands ........... 98 (4) Observations .......................... .. 99 (ii) (b) The North Sea Cases, the Anglo-French Arbitration, and the Tunisian-Libyan Case . 100 (1) The North Sea Cases .................. 100 (2) The Anglo-French Arbitration .......... 101 (3) The Tunisian-Libyan Case . ............. 102 D. Concluding Remarks ............................. .. 103 Chapter 5: The Sino-Japanese Seabed Dispute: A Fresh Look .......................................... 107 A. Introduction: A Framework for Analysis .......... 107 B. The "Relevant Circumstances" and International Law of Seabed Delimitation ....................... 113 1. The 1958 Shelf Convention .................... 113 (a) Unusual Geographical Features ........... ll3 (b) Other Legitimate Uses of the Sea ......... ll4 2. State Practice .................................. 115 3. The North Sea Cases .......................... ll7 4. The Anglo-French Arbitration .................. 117 5. The Tunisian-Libyan Case ..................... 120 6. The LOS Convention .......................... 122 C. Identifying the "Relevant Circumstances" in the East China Sea Other Than Its Geography, Geology, and Geomorphology ................................... 127 I. Irrelevant Circumstances ....................... 127 (a) Defense and Security Interests ............. 127 (b) Navigation ................................ 128 (c) Historical Title ............................ 128 (d) Unity of Deposits ........................ .. 129 (e) Fishing and the EEZ ...................... 129 2. Partially Relevant Circumstances .............. 132 3. Potentially Relevant Circumstances ............ 133 (a) The Japan-ROK Joint Development Zone .. 133 (b) The PRC's Straight Baselines ............. 134 (I) The 1958 Declaration