China’s latest violent clash with the Philippines at Second Thomas Shoal injured a Filipino sailor. It comes shortly after the US announced that it would redeploy six Coast Guard cutters from the Middle East to Singapore and the Philippines’ Subic Bay — a significant expansion of the US Coast Guard’s presence in the Indo-Pacific. Unlike traditional naval deployments, these law enforcement vessels are designed to operate within the same gray zone that China has increasingly relied on its own coast guard and maritime militia. How could this new deployment affect the South China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and the broader regional balance of power? In this episode, we examine the strategic significance of the US Coast Guard’s new mission and what it means for deterrence, alliance cooperation and maritime security across the Indo-Pacific.
*Recorded on July 22, 2026 at 1:45pm Taiwan Standard Time
Host/Senior Producer: Yin Khvat
Producer: Suvam Pal
Planner: Miguel Yang
Videographer: Damon Lin
Our guests:
Holmes Liao
- Former Taiwan National Defense University Distinguished Adjunct Faculty Member
Collin Koh
- S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies Senior Fellow
Renato Cruz de Castro
- De La Salle University Department of International Studies Distinguished Professor
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