This is CBS Eye on the World.

Here's John Batchelor.

I welcome my colleague Cleo Pascal of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies,

testifying before members of Congress most recently, the title of Cleo's testimony.

Examining the Office of Insular Affairs role in fostering prosperity in the Pacific territories

and addressing external threats to peace and security.

This is about Oceania, yes, that vast part of the planet that is the Pacific.

It's about states within Oceania who are part of a battlefield right now, not a kinetic

or kinetic battlefield, but an influence peddling battlefield.

On one side is the People's Republic of China, meaning to secure basing and influence outside of the First Island chain

in the event of conflict, kinetic conflict. Cleo has introduced me to many of these states,

and right now we're dealing with the United States of America. That's right. This is American

territory. One, U.S. American Samoa. Two, U.S. Guam. And three, U.S. Northern Mariana.

Clear, a very good eating to you. In your testimony, you have one heck of a quote from a Chinese official, not named, saying to an American official,

you take everything east of the Hawaiian Islands,

we'll take everything west and we won't be in conflict.

What's he pointing to it? Why did he say that?

And did he have a smile on his face?

Good evening to you, Cleo.

Good evening. I wasn't there, so I don't know how deadpan he was about it.

But what this is an indication of is how important this Oceania heartland is.

Now, we often talk about the McKinders heartland theory, and he who controls Eurasia controls the world island but in the 21st century

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