Introduction

Abstract

This chapter addresses the relevance of the South China Sea (SCS) as a maritime highway, a source of hydrocarbons, and as a source of food and livelihood. In particular, it focuses on how the intersection of economic, energy, and food security are too important to ignore, particularly in the context of competing territorial disputes, overlapping exclusive economic zones (EEZs), and growing nationalism make the disputes too important to ignore. Consequently, the SCS disputes are reshaping East and Southeast Asian security dynamics by influencing the alignment policies claimant and non-claimant countries alike.