China in the World is back with a special series of five episodes focusing on Southeast Asian perspectives on China. In the first episode, Ian Chong, a nonresident scholar at Carnegie China, discusses the South China Sea with Charmaine Willoughby, also a nonresident scholar at Carnegie China who focuses on alliances, maritime security, and security cooperation; and Chanintira "Neen" na Thalang, an associate professor at the Faculty of Political Science, Thammasat University in Bangkok, Thailand, whose research interests include Thai foreign policy, ethnic conflicts and regional security in Southeast Asia. The three scholars share their insights on the role China is playing in the South China Sea, and the wider implications of the ongoing disputes and their trajectories for Southeast Asia and beyond.