This is John Batchelor, speaking with colleague Colonel Grant Newsom, the United States

Marine Corps retired, the author of the new book, When China Attacks, A Warning to America.

Grant is very specific about the geography of East Asia and how China

sees its battle plan. Subic Bay was a critical component in the defense of Asia from the Chinese and the US in the late 20th century gave it up gave it back to the Philippines.

Opposite the Subic Bay or the South China Sea and the fortified islands that China is now built in order to

combat any response from the U.S. or from the Philippines.

Also, we're looking at a battle plan that is well established as China took opportunities

after Subic Bay to gobble up other islands that were not protected or were challenged but China

ignored the challenge. Here's Grant Newsom to explain the Chinese policy since the

late 20th century to build a very strong position in the South

China Sea and in East Asia inside the first island chain. When China

taxes the book this is Grant Neutham.

More of this later this week.

Well, they would do it anyway, even if we weren't there.

They don't like the fact that we're moving back into the Philippines to a larger

extent and has been the case. They don't like that and they never like when the

Americans or any neighbor gets does what's necessary to defend themselves.

But China is constantly expanding, sort of applying pressure, and they would be doing the same thing regardless of the Americans being there.

But also I would note that you could see what was coming as early as the late 1980s or 70s

actually when the Chinese took some Vietnamese islands in the South China Sea up in the

northern end, and then in the 80s took some more Vietnamese territory. In the 90s they took some Philippine islands as well and that was after

Subic Bay had been given back. So but it's been a gradual sort of expansion and

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