Guo Yuan, Wang Jing

(№.3,2015)

Abstract: During the Cold War, Vietnam intended to enhance its vested interests in the South China Sea and accumulate funds for economic development by listing the exploration and development of the oil and gas in the South China Sea as a key project opening up to the outside world. To fulfill their goals, Vietnam relied on the Soviet Union. As Chinese relations worsened with the Soviet Union and Vietnam, the latter two naturally became closer. Part of the joint oil and gas exploration took place in the Nansha Islands and the surrounding waters. The Soviet Union attempted to influence Vietnam's economy and politics through large-scale exploitation of oil and gas in the South China Sea. Such exploitation, however, was detrimental to the stability and development of the South China Sea.

Keywords: The Soviet Union; oil and gas in the South China Sea; Vietnam