This is CBS I On The World.

I'm John Bachelord with Colonel Jeff McCawson, CBS News, visiting professor Dickinson

college CEO, Diamond Six leadership and strategy to the East Asia Frontier for the People's

Republic of China's threats, threats, threats against Taiwan.

However, in these last days, beginning in the middle of the month, the U.S. is conducting

joint exercises with the Philippines military, Air Force, Navy, Army.

All of that directly opposite the South China Sea militarized by fake islands, fortified

islands, the wall of sand.

Jeff, do you measure this as a genuine challenge to the presumption that China has won the South

China Sea?

Well, that question, John.

I think it's also useful to point out that during the Great and Belune Conversary a few

weeks ago, people pointed out that, of course, Secretary of State Blinken abruptly canceled

his visit to China to schedule about the time we discovered the Belune over Montana.

It was more interesting to me it was not where Blinken was and it was where Secretary

Defense Austin was.

And he was in the Philippines at that particular time in Manila, signing an agreement with

the Philippine government, allowing the United States access to nine bases back on the

Philippine Islands, one of which on the very northern part of Madonna is a few hundred miles

or less from this other tip of Taiwan.

Obviously, offering the United States significant enhancement in our operational capabilities.

And over the last few months there have been significant, I think, changes in the overall

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