This is a series, I and the world, I'm John Bachelor.

The communication from the United States to the people of the South China Sea and their oppressors.

The United States reaffirms their Article 4 of the 1951 U.S.

Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty extends to armed attacks

on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft,

including those of its Coast Guard, anywhere in the South China Sea.

This is a statement by the U.S. State Department,

very, very carefully arranged to make sure that Beijing reads it in all languages.

Gordon Chang, I'm Gordon G. Chang, is my colleague and co-host, and this is a very grave

matter. We welcome James Finel, co-author of Embracing Communist China, America's

greatest strategic failure. He's a government fellow at the Geneva Center for Security Policy.

He's a retired U.S. Navy Captain Intelligence serving in the

Indo-Pacific.

Jim, your book very carefully outlines the scenario we're now watching. The deliberate provocation

again and again of the Philippine military, this time a deliberate collision

by what we can presume is a PLA warship no matter how it's disguised.

You said this was happening.

What's the next chapter, Jim?

Good evening to you.

Well, good evening to John and Gordon.

Well, what happened on Monday is a severe escalation because this time you've got

ships that are, you know, of some substance that are colliding into each other and putting holes into each other, ramming.

...