ABSTRACT
In the South and East China seas, maritime borders are clearly at the heart of geopolitical issues on the economic expansion front. In addition, the presence of hydrocarbons in the high seas is assumed but far from certain. As with hydrocarbons, continental shelves are most productive. Despite twenty-year efforts to attract Western multinationals to invest in East Asia's oil and gas offshore deposits, if the latter are proven, their exploitation would be difficult due to the troublesome geology and they would be exhausted within a few years. Offshore fishing and the Paracel, Spratly and Diaoyu/Senkaku/Diaoyutai archipelagos offer a limited potential for catch, both in terms of value and quantity. Full exploitation and overexploitation of fish stocks have prompted a number of littoral states, in particular Malaysia, to introduce moratoriums on new coastal fishing licences, while promoting offshore fishing or imposing seasonal bans, as China has done in the East China Sea from May to August since 1999.
