This is John Batchel, conversation with colleague Cleo Pascal, the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, on Woolly Atoll.

This is part of the Federated States of Micronesia, 7,500 miles from New York City.

Wili Atoll was a location for the Imperial Japanese Army once upon a time.

They built an airfield there and could strike in all directions, Carolina Islands.

It was called back then.

On their way west, the United States Navy swept over Wuliye but didn't invade it. They bombed it into

oblivion and cut it off and the garrison there starved to death, died of disease. That island is

rebuilt now and who shows up to reorganize the airfield, lengthen it perhaps, make it available

to direct flights from the mainland, that would be the People's Republic of China and their

construction companies. So here Cleo tells the story of the advantage to the Chinese of taking possession of the airfield by building it

and getting the thanks of the people of the Federated States of Micronesia.

And the U.S. is not on the scene, to be seen. Much more of this later.

I mentioned that the FSM, the Federated States of Micronesia,

are in the direct march from Hawaii to the Philippines, Japan, and Taiwan, and vice versa.

This route must be kept open in the event of conflict. But instead, the Chinese show up,

rebuild an airfield, and Cleo Pascal, much more of this later tonight.

And this is an area at Ulythi was, I mean, how many Americans, you know, died to secure this region?

And, you know, what was the strategic cost?

And the point is that the strategic importance is clearly still there

because the runway here on Woliye is currently being rebuilt by this Chinese company

at the behest of the national government here.

And if it starts operations, there's nothing stopping direct flights from mainland China to come straight into Woolliye, which is about 670 kilometers from Guam.

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