The main arteries of trade in Southeast Asia are connected by the South China Sea.
This body of water is critical beyond its boundaries due to its abundance of oil and marine life.
An estimated $3.37 trillion worth of global trade was transited through the South China Sea in 2016 according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
There are seven countries that have claims to the South China Sea.
The South China Sea is important to whom.
China is the most dependent country on the South China Sea according to analysts.
Vietnam's economy grew to $362.64 billion in 2021.
According to Euan Graham, Senior Fellow for Asia-Pacific Security with the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Vietnam occupies more than three thousand kilometers of coastline on the South China Sea.
This photo taken on August 19, 2022, shows fishermen sorting a fresh catch of fish on Vietnam’s offshore Ly Son island.It's geography in Southeast Asia allows for a maritime orientation and creates pressure in both directions.
Vietnam is doubling down on its maritime strategy in order to become an export dependent economy.
Vietnam used to be landward-focused and reliant on continental allies like the Soviet Union and China, according to Graham. Vietnam wasbogged down by land conflicts with China and Cambodia.
The supply chain problems in China have helped Vietnam, which shares a border with the country.
Graham said that the opportunity is in the prosperity that has come from exports and foreign investment.
South Korea and China are moving their supply chains out of China. Giving other countries a stake in Vietnam's survival is another benefit.
The Singapore Strait is the main sea link for markets in Europe, Asia and the Americas.
The freedom of the sea is what keeps Singapore alive, even though most conversations focus on resources such as oil, gas and fisheries.
Without the free South China Sea on the other side of Singapore, that becomes a different proposition for their value and national survival.
The freedom of the sea is what keeps Singapore alive.
According to the U.S. trade representative office, Singapore is the 17th largest goods trading partner with the U.S.
The Singapore Strait and the beginning of the Malacca Strait are the most critical sea lanes of communication.
Aerial view of fishing boats setting sail to South China Sea for fishing on August 16, 2022 in Yangjiang, Guangdong Province of China.The tiny Southeast Asia nation depends on free trade to survive.
Singapore is a state that is dependent on free seas and rules based order. Singapore is in a lot of trouble unless that is present.
The Straits of Sunda and Lombok in Indonesia are gateways to the South China Sea.
The Natuna Islands are part of Indonesia and overlap China's nine-dash line.
Brown said that Indonesia is dependent on the resources from the North Natuna Sea.
He said that Indonesia's claim that there are no territorial disputes with China is false.
China has pushed claimant states such as Vietnam out of traditional fishing waters and more into the South China Sea, causing excessive overfishing.
Indonesia has a population of over 300 million and relies on food security from fish.
National instability in Southeast Asia can be caused by food insufficiency in the South China Sea.
The seasonal fishing bans that China has in the East China Sea areunderappreciated.
China has pushed Vietnam out of traditional fishing waters in the South China Sea in order to cause excessive overfishing.
China pushes Vietnam fishermen out of their own waters in order to enter Malaysian and Indonesian waters.
The fish stocks are exhausted.
The defense policy expert warned that countries would be thrown into food insufficiency if that happened. When that happens, hungry people won't be going after China but instead the central government.
According to the World Bank, Southeast Asia had an estimated GDP of over $1 trillion in 2011.
The Association of Accredited Public Policy Advocates to the European Union says that 42% of Japan's maritime trade goes through the South China Sea.
Japan was the largest importer of liquified natural gas in the world.
Brown said that because of Japan's oil imports from the Persian Gulf region they have a long-standing interest in the vulnerability of the sea lanes.
Capacity building on issues such as maritime safety and security, protection of resources and infrastructure, and freedom of navigation with countries that border the South China Sea are supported by their regional activities.
A US assault amphibious vehicle (AAV) manoeuvers past Philippine navy’s frigate Ramon Alcaraz during the amphibious landing as part of the annual Philippines and US joint military exercise at the beach of Philippine navy’s training camp in San Antonio, Zambales province northwest of Manila on May 9, 2018.Strong signals have been sent by Japan to China.
According to the largest newspaper in Japan, the Japanese navy has sailed past the South China Sea waterway many times.
An unnamed senior defense ministry official was quoted by the newspaper as saying that the maritime patrols were meant to warn China, which distorts international law, to protect freedom of navigation and law and order.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force began operations in March of last year.
The Japanese government released a white paper accusing China of trying to change the status quo in the East and South China seas.
China's Ministry of National Defense rebuked the document for making "irresponsible remarks".
Graham said that South Korea was quiet about the South China Sea as it wanted to maintain favor with China.
It is more difficult to divert trade compared to Japan. South Korea is recognized as a trading nation and has an active ocean-going navy.
According to Graham, Asia's fourth largest economy is more reliant on energy imports than Japan.
Government data shows that South Korea is the 8th largest energy consumer in the world. South Korea spent almost two thirds of its total energy imports in the year 2011.
The Middle East made up more than 80% of South Korea's crude oil imports before the beginning of the year.
The majority of South Korea's crude oil imports go through the South China Sea.
Since World War II, naval supremacy in the Pacific has not been challenged like this with the launch of China's domestically designed and built aircraft carrier.
Concerns have been raised about the global trading system. There are warnings of the consequences of a conflict on the South China Sea. Singapore and South Korea have called on us to avoid it.
The South China Sea is the center of the Indo- Pacific. Its importance goes beyond the region.
The strategic importance of the South China Sea is expected to increase due to diplomatic tensions.
According to the UNCTAD, more than 80% of the volume of international trade is carried by sea. Supply chain disruption, changes in globalization patterns, transportation costs, and congestion in ports are just a few of the issues that remain uncertain.
The UNCTAD estimates that the world maritime trade recovered in 2021. The prediction was that trade volumes could grow at an annual rate of 2.4%.
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