The Role of US Oil Companies in the South China Sea Dispute 

(By Yan Shuangwu and Li Guoxuan)

Abstract: The competition and cooperation between US multinational oil companies and the US government, their basic advantage and goals determine their ability to intervene in the South China Sea dispute. The attraction of rich oil and gas reserves in the South China Sea, its neighboring countries’ institutions and US driving forces make US multinational oil companies deeply involved in the South China Sea dispute. US multinational oil companies have not only exacerbated the dispute and gave the claimant countries more space and opportunities to manipulate the issue, but also stimulated them to legalize their vested interests in the South China Sea region and strengthened non-regional countries’ containment toward China. The constraints of international institutions and these companies’ dual identity and measurable benefits in China determine the limits of American intervention in the South China Sea dispute.