CNOOC bid to exploit resources in S China Sea defended

Analysts said China has a legitimate right to explore the South China Sea though protests will become frequent in the future.

China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), the largest offshore oil producer in the country has for the second time this year posted a plan on its website calling for international bids for blocks of Chinese waters, most of which are located in the South China Sea, drawing protests from Vietnam on Friday.

CNOOC last week put up 26 blocks among which 22 of them are in South China Sea after announcing in June that the first group of nine blocks in the South China Sea were being put up for bids.

Vietnam has plundered a great deal of resources in the South China Sea, and had arranged rounds of international bids for blocks in the area also claimed by China, Du Jifeng, a researcher from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.

"In the past, China used to go with the conduct declarations in the South China Sea. However, Vietnam and other countries internally carried out several activities in exploring resources in the area," Du said, "learning from the lesson, China should do some practical activities."

Vietnamese foreign ministry spokesperson Luong Thanh Nghi lodged a protest on Friday, the Voice of Vietnam reported Saturday.

"In the future, such protests will be frequent, but we would not pay much attention to it as long as China sticks to the principle," Zhuang Guotu, dean of the School of Southeast Asian Studies at Xiamen University, told the Global Times, adding that dialogues will be needed to peacefully solve conflicts from China and countries related.

In June, Vietnam decided to extend the contract for exploration of hydrocarbons in a block in the South China Sea to Indian company ONGC Videsh Limited which had been expected to pull out for "techno-commercial" reasons, the Hindustan Times reported.