China and Brunei have pledged to work together on oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea, though a Chinese analyst noted that more negotiations were needed for energy cooperation to move forward.
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In a joint statement on Thursday, China and Brunei agreed to support commercial cooperation in maritime oil and gas resources.
The statement was released following a meeting between President Xi Jinping and Brunei’s monarch, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, who is on a three-day visit to China.
The two sides agreed to “cooperate in the development of resources in mutually agreed areas”, without giving details on which areas would be involved.
They agreed to cooperate without prejudice to “legal positions of the respective countries under international law”, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), which governs the use of the world’s oceans and their resources.
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China and Brunei have overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea. The disputed areas include Louisa Reef and other rocks and reefs in the Spratly Islands, known in Chinese as the Nansha Islands.