Abstract:

Independent development is not a unilateral development，which does not deny the established policy—“shelving differences and seeking joint development”but promote the implementation of the policy. Japan’s attempt to“nationalize”the Diaoyu Islands broke the originally static balance in East China Sea. This also gives China a chance to promote independent development of the East China Sea energy resources. The independent development strategy is a sensible and practical option for China to face up to the reality that the Sino-Japanese island dispute cannot be solved in the short term. It is a very effective way to restrain Japan’s ungrounded claim for the oil and gas resources in East China Sea and to break the dispute chain over the East China Sea and the South China Sea

Key words: independent development, energy strategy, oceanic great power, island dispute, Asia Pacific rebalancing