Chinese scholars to study South China Sea borderline

A joint team of scholars from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan will study borderlines and other related issues regarding the South China Sea, a leading expert has said.

During a press conference on Tuesday on release of the Report on the South China Sea-2011, Wu Shicun, president of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies (NISCSS), said, "The most important task is to start the theoretical research on the U-shape line."

The line, also referred to as the nine-dash line, is the demarcation line used by China to claim territorial sovereignty in the South China Sea.

"We plan to give the international community a legal explanation of the U-shape line within one year, together with our advice and claims in response to international concerns," Wu Said.

South China Sea disputes are critical to the common interests of both the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, Wu said. He noted that relations between the two sides over the years have laid a solid foundation for cross-Strait cooperation in the area.

The report, compiled by more than ten scholars from both sides, called for positive, practical and sound cooperation on South China Sea issues to benefit the whole Chinese nation.

Both sides should strengthen the mutual political trust and promote practical collaboration on South China Sea issues by forming cross-Strait military coordination mechanisms and working together to develop oil and gas reserves in that area, Wu said.

"The priority is to put cooperation on South China Sea issues into negotiations between the Association of Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF)," he added.