The international oil and gas industry is no stranger when it comes to maritime disputes. After all, the exploration, production, and transport of hydrocarbons in international waters are central to the industry's mission and well-being.But China seems to think otherwise. That fact emerged at presstime last week when China's top diplomat called on the US to steer clear of its disputes with neighboring countries over the South China Sea and to avoid making them an international issue."The internationalization of the issue will only make matters worse and more difficult to resolve," said Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi after US Sec. of State Hillary Clinton said resolving dis...