Does Norway Hold the Key to Solving South China Sea Dispute?

The economic rise of Asia and the increasing diplomatic clout of China make the competing claims over sections of the South China Sea a volatile regional issue. Writing for CNN, Parag Khanna and John Gilman cite the 92-year old agreement between Russia and Norway in calling for a commercial approach to territorial disputes in the Arctic. “Norway and Russia both are massive oil explorers and exporters, not letting territorial disputes interfere with the need to provide for global commodities demand,” argue Khanna and Gilman. China’s power differential is admittedly high, yet the various parties could negotiate a multinational joint-stock company, giving all legal and commercial rights to share the region’s resources. The two go so far as to say that “the sovereignty question would be shelved for the time being without recognizing or dismissing the claims of the current parties to the dispute.” For the two writers, economics and pragmatism take precedence over politics and conflict. – YaleGlobal