By Li Kaisheng

January 29, 2015

"Resources, especially oil, are one of the major drives that keep tensions in the South China Sea simmering. As world oil prices remain at low ebb, there are speculations that the South China Sea won't be as eye-catching as before for many stakeholders in the region. But when oil and gas prices drop, is it necessary that the nations involved continue the tit-for-tat fight as they did before?

The rivalries in the South China Sea are due to its potential resources. Real stakeholders won't let go of this strategically important area simply due to a possibly temporary oil price slump.

Tensions in the South China Sea might be eased in 2015, not because of the low oil prices, but due to the strategic shifts laid out by major powers which have crucial interests in this region. Where the conflicts are heading is not decided by the claims of small disputing parties such as Vietnam and the Philippines, but by China and the US."

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http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/904825.shtml

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