謝謝主席女士， 　　

首先，請(qǐng)?jiān)试S我祝賀您當(dāng)選為本屆理事會(huì)主席，中國(guó)代表團(tuán)將全力支持您的工作。相信在您的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)下，本次會(huì)議一定會(huì)取得豐碩成果，獲得圓滿成功?！　?/p>

借此機(jī)會(huì)，我要感謝上任理事會(huì)主席奧立夫·邁克爾巴特斯閣下。他不僅主持了第24屆理事會(huì)會(huì)議，還主持了上周四、五舉行的財(cái)務(wù)問(wèn)題非正式工作組會(huì)。中國(guó)代表團(tuán)感謝他剛剛就工作組會(huì)情況所作的報(bào)告，并愿就開(kāi)發(fā)規(guī)章所涉財(cái)務(wù)問(wèn)題發(fā)表如下看法：　　

一、惠益分享是“區(qū)域”內(nèi)資源開(kāi)發(fā)整體制度設(shè)計(jì)不可或缺的重要內(nèi)容。我們高興地看到，報(bào)告中特別提及，開(kāi)發(fā)規(guī)章繳費(fèi)機(jī)制包括兩方面：一是承包者需向海管局繳納多少費(fèi)用，二是繳納的費(fèi)用如何由海管局進(jìn)行分配。這正是中國(guó)代表團(tuán)一貫秉持的觀點(diǎn)，即惠益分享與繳費(fèi)機(jī)制密不可分，兩者本質(zhì)上都是對(duì)“區(qū)域”內(nèi)活動(dòng)產(chǎn)生收益的處置和再分配?；菀娣窒碜鳛槿祟惞餐^承財(cái)產(chǎn)原則的重要內(nèi)容，理應(yīng)在開(kāi)發(fā)規(guī)章中加以規(guī)定。中方切實(shí)希望今后的財(cái)務(wù)問(wèn)題研討會(huì)可對(duì)惠益分享問(wèn)題進(jìn)行專題研討?！　?/p>

二、繳費(fèi)機(jī)制不宜將特許使用權(quán)使用費(fèi)與盈利分享相結(jié)合的制度排除在外?！堵?lián)合國(guó)海洋法公約》相關(guān)執(zhí)行協(xié)定明確規(guī)定，繳費(fèi)機(jī)制“應(yīng)該考慮采用特許權(quán)使用費(fèi)制度或結(jié)合特許權(quán)使用費(fèi)與盈利分享的制度”。目前各方已就特許權(quán)使用費(fèi)制度開(kāi)展了研究和討論，但并未考慮特許權(quán)使用費(fèi)與盈利分享相結(jié)合的制度。有觀點(diǎn)認(rèn)為，混合繳費(fèi)模式存在沉重繁重的行政費(fèi)用以及不易實(shí)施等弊端。中方認(rèn)為，在未對(duì)混合繳費(fèi)模式進(jìn)行深入研究的情況下，任何結(jié)論都缺乏實(shí)證支持。中方重申，希按照?qǐng)?zhí)行協(xié)定的要求，對(duì)特許權(quán)使用費(fèi)與盈利分享相結(jié)合的繳費(fèi)方式進(jìn)行研究，并在此基礎(chǔ)上討論采用何種繳費(fèi)機(jī)制。　　

三、繳費(fèi)機(jī)制應(yīng)覆蓋三種礦產(chǎn)資源?，F(xiàn)有財(cái)務(wù)模型都是僅針對(duì)多金屬結(jié)核的，多金屬硫化物和富鈷結(jié)殼的開(kāi)采方式和金屬種類與結(jié)核明顯不同。中方支持報(bào)告中關(guān)于及時(shí)處理另外兩種礦產(chǎn)資源的繳費(fèi)機(jī)制和繳費(fèi)率問(wèn)題的建議?！　?/p>

四、開(kāi)發(fā)規(guī)章財(cái)務(wù)制度應(yīng)體現(xiàn)“公平對(duì)待”原則?！秷?zhí)行協(xié)定》附件第8節(jié)第1條(a)款要求，繳費(fèi)制度“應(yīng)公平對(duì)待承包者和管理局雙方”。中方認(rèn)為，“公平對(duì)待”既要落實(shí)“人類共同繼承財(cái)產(chǎn)”原則，保障海管局代表的全人類的利益；也要遵循“健全商業(yè)原則”，使承包者有經(jīng)濟(jì)動(dòng)力從事生產(chǎn)。有關(guān)繳費(fèi)制度是否、如何體現(xiàn)了“公平對(duì)待”，建議予以澄清和說(shuō)明?！　?/p>

五、開(kāi)發(fā)規(guī)章財(cái)務(wù)制度應(yīng)充分考慮陸上采礦的影響。 《執(zhí)行協(xié)定》規(guī)定，“繳費(fèi)率應(yīng)不超過(guò)相同或類似礦物的陸上采礦繳費(fèi)率的一般范圍，以避免給予深海采礦者人為的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)優(yōu)勢(shì)或使其處于競(jìng)爭(zhēng)劣勢(shì)”。目前的財(cái)務(wù)模型似乎并未涉及陸上采礦，特別是深海采礦未來(lái)可能與全球金屬市場(chǎng)的相互影響，建議在此后研究中納入?！　?/p>

謝謝主席女士?！　?/p>

Translation　　

The Statement of the Chinese Delegation on Financial Issues of the Exploitation Regulations at the Council Meeting of the First Part of the 25th Session of the International Seabed Authority　　

(February 25, 2019)　　

Thank you, Madam President.　　

First of all, please allow me to congratulate you on your election as the President of the Council. You are assured of the full support of the Chinese delegation. I believe that under your leadership, this meeting will be surely fruitful and successful.　　

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the past President, H.E Olav Myklebust. He presided over not only the Council meetings of the 24th Session, but also the open-ended informal working group in respect of financial model held last Thursday and Friday. The Chinese delegation is also grateful for the report he has just made on the working group and wishes to express the following views on the financial issues of the Exploitation Regulations:　　

1. Benefit sharing is an integral part of the overall system governing the exploitation of the resources in the Area. We are pleased to see that the report specifically references that financial aspects of a payment mechanism can be grouped into two categories: (1) what a contractor will pay to the Authority; (2) how such money received will be distributed by the Authority. This is exactly the long held position of the Chinese delegation, namely, benefit sharing and payment mechanism are inseparable, and both of them are essentially the disposition and redistribution of the benefits derived from activities in the Area. As part of the important contents of the principle of the common heritage of mankind, it is appropriate for the issue of benefit sharing to be addressed by the Exploitation Regulations. China sincerely hopes that the future meetings with respect to financial matters would conduct special studies and discussions on the issue of benefit sharing.　　

2. The payment mechanism should not exclude the combination of a royalty and profit-sharing system. The Implementing Agreement to UNCLOS provides that“[c]onsideration should be given to the adoption of a royalty system or a combination of a royalty and profit-sharing system.” At present, the parties have conducted study and discussion on the royalty system, but have not considered the system of combining royalty with profit-sharing. There is a view that the hybrid payment model would entail major administrative costs as well as practical challenges in implementation. However, China believes that without deep study on the hybrid payment model itself any conclusion in this regard would lack empirical support. We reiterated that as required by the Implementing Agreement the payment mechanism of a combination of a royalty and profit-sharing system should be studied, and only after this further discussion as to what payment mechanism to be adopted could be reasonably conducted.　　

3. The payment mechanism should cover three mineral resources. The existing financial model is related to polymetallic nodules only. The exploitation technologies and metals of polymetallic sulphides and cobalt-rich crusts are significantly different from those of polymetallic nodules. China supports the recommendation that it is necessary to consider the payment mechanisms and rates of payment for the other two mineral resources in due course.　　

4. The payment mechanism of the Exploitation Regulations should embody the principle of“fair treatment”. Section 8 Article 1 (a) of the Annex to the Implementing Agreement requires that the payment system“shall be fair both to the contractor and the Authority”. The wording“be fair” herein means that the payment system should not only fulfill the principle of“common heritage of mankind” to safeguard the benefit of mankind as a whole represented by the Authority, but also comply with the“sound commercial principle” enabling the Contractors to have the economic impetus to engage in production. It is therefore suggested to clarify and explain whether and how the payment mechanism has given effect to“fair treatment”. 　　

5. The payment mechanism of the Exploitation Regulations should take full consideration of the impacts of land-based mining. The Implementing Agreement provides that“the rates of payments under the system shall be within the range of those prevailing in respect of land-based mining of the same or similar minerals in order to avoid giving deep seabed miners an artificial competitive advantage or imposing on them a competitive disadvantage”. The current model does not consider the issue of land-based mining, especially the possibly future interactions between deep-sea mining and the global metal market, and it is recommended to take into account this matter in subsequent researches. 　　

Thank you, Madam President.