Day: February 28, 2026

Did China’s reckless actions this week near the Scarborough Shoal nearly activate the Mutual Defense Treaty between the Philippines and United States? On Monday, a Chinese Navy destroyer accidentally rammed a Chinese Coast Guard Ship, possibly killing some of their own men. If not for the deft seamanship of the Philippine Coast Guard, however, it appears likely those casualties would have been Filipino. Less than three days later, a Chinese fighter jet flew within 60m of a Philippine plane, while the Chinese Navy shadowed two U.S. ships on a freedom-of-navigation mission near the Shoal. Is it just a matter of time until Beijing stumbles into an armed conflict with Washington? In this episode, we are joined by a new special guest — the former U.S. ambassador to Myanmar — who shares his insights on the latest events in the South China Sea as well as the rising China-U.S. competition for rare earth metals in Myanmar. Host: Yin Khvat Our guests: Alexander Huang Council on Strategic and Wargaming Studies Chair Derek Mitchell Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Asia Program Non-Resident Senior Advisor Former U.S. Ambassador to Myanmar Former U.S. Department of Defense Deputy Assistant Secretary for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs Chapters: 00:00:00 – China’s Reckless Maritime Behavior 00:01:40 – What If China’s Actions Had Killed? 00:15:02 – Philippine’s Long Seafaring History 00:18:29 – China Seized Scarborough in 2012 00:21:30 – China, U.S. Seek Influence in Myanmar #ScarboroughShoal #IndoPacific #ChineseCoastGuard #ChineseNavy #PeoplesLiberationArmy #PLA #PLANavy #PLACoastGuard #PhilippineCoastGuard #PhilippineNavy #XiJinping #FerdinandMarcosJr #USMilitary #USNavy #PACOM #USSHiggins #MutualDefenseTreaty #PhilippineUSRelations #TaiwanStrait #Myanmar #Burma #RareEarths #RareEarthMinerals #RareEarthMetals #MyanmarChinaRelations #MyanmarCivilWar #USForeignPolicy #TaiwanTalks

Source: China Jet Intercepts Philippines Plane & U.S. Deploys Warships After Fatal Collision | EP687