As global economic power shifts towards Asia, there are increasing concerns about maritime security in the region. This applies especially to the seas of East Asia, which are rich in resources, where there are major shipping lanes, crucial to the world economy, but where there are many unresolved maritime territorial disputes and where good order at sea is lacking. This book, by an established leading authority on the subject, argues that the issues need to be understood equally from legal, political and security perspectives. It takes a pessimistic view, showing how regional powers do not co-operate as well as they might, and how the interventions of external powers are often counterproductive. It puts forward suggestions as to how the situation could be improved, and concludes by discussing how the situation is likely to develop.