On the website of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, one finds this definition of China’s concept of joint development: “The concept of ‘setting aside dispute and pursuing joint development’ has the following four elements: 1. The sovereignty of the territories concerned belongs to China. xxx.” China has offered this concept of joint development to maritime areas within the exclusive economic zones of Asean coastal states falling within China’s nine-dash line. No Asean coastal state, however, has accepted China’s offer of joint development. To accept China’s offer is to concede sovereign rights to China over the overlapping maritime areas.

Carpio, A. T. (2021, July 19). Joint development vs cooperation arrangement. Panay News, pp. 9, 14.