South China Sea and Central Asian energy policies in the context of China's energy security

In this study, in general; energy security, energy security risks and the importance of energy in international relations are emphasized, and China's multi-faceted energy security policy is analysed. In this context, it has been tried to explain China's energy reserves, its bilateral relations with the countries from which it supplies energy, the security problems it has experienced in energy transmission lines and the methods of combating these problems. Within the scope of the study, it has been found that there are two problems that threaten China's energy supply security. These are the diversification of stable and reliable energy sources and the security problem experienced in energy transmission lines. Today, China makes the majority of its energy supply from the Middle East, which is unstable, unreliable, considered to be lack of security in the foreseeable future and at the same time geographically distant. This situation threatens China's long-term energy security policy and push China to seek a new reliable energy source. At the centre of China's long-term energy security policy to create an alternative to the Middle East, China is focused on the South China Sea and Central Asia, which are rich in natural gas and oil resources and are also geographically close to China. Although the borders of the regions to China are very important for China's energy security, they are regions where global competition is intense. The South China Sea has an impact on both intra-regional problems and conflicts and beyond the global power struggle, as it is the region where international maritime trade takes place beyond its hydrocarbon deposits. The region that constitutes the other subject of the study is Central Asia. Due to the independence of the Central Asian Republics and the richness of their energy resources, there are significant power struggles in this region. The power struggle in this region takes place between the two main actors of the region, China and Russia. Both states have strategic goals in the region, including energy, security, and economics for the future. China is trying to secure energy supply security by establishing a geopolitical superiority in these two regions. In this context, by determining China's geopolitical advantages and disadvantages against rival countries in these two geographical regions, it is being measured how successful China's efforts to diversify its reliable energy sources and efforts to secure the security of maritime and land-connected energy transmission lines.