AND BECAUSE OF THE DEBACLE IN
AFGHANISTAN AND THE FAILURES OF
RUSSIA AND UKRAINE, TAIWAN HAS
BECOMES A TEST OF AMERICAN
CREDIBILITY NOT JUST IN THE
REGION BUT WORLDWIDE.
>> I FIND IT RAISES A CURIOUS
QUESTION FOR ME BECAUSE THE
PRESIDENT REPORTEDLY DID HIS
BEST OR TRIED TO DISCOURAGE THE
TRIP TO TAIWAN.
DO YOU REALLY THINK SHE WOULD
HAVE MADE THIS EFFORT IF
PRESIDENT BIDEN REALLY DID NOT
WANT HER TO GO?
>> I THINK THE PRESIDENT
ACTUALLY CALLED THE SPEAKER.
THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT.
I DON'T KNOW.
I GET THE SENSE THAT SHE WAS
GOING TO GO REGARDLESS. BUT THE
PRESIDENT DID NOT DO ALL THAT
HE COULD HAVE TO STOP THIS.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THE
PRESIDENT HAS A VIEW OF CHINA,
WHICH IS INCONSISTENT WITH HERS.
SHE WAS GOING TO SAY THIS IS
SOMETHING THE UNITED STATES
NEEDS TO DO ESPECIALLY BECAUSE
THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS
NOT BEEN AS ROBUST AS MANY
PEOPLE, INCLUDING THE SPEAKER
THINKS IT SHOULD BE.
>> GIVEN ALL OF THE BLUSTER AND
DIPLOMATIC HARASSING THAT IS
GOING ON, IS IT REASONABLE TO
THINK THAT CHINA WILL TAKE
FURTHER ACTIONS TO SHOW
DEFIANCE OF THIS VISIT?
>> IT IS DEFINITELY GOING TO DO
THAT, MICHAEL.
YOU CAN TAKE THAT ONE TO THE
BANK.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE
GOING TO DO.
IT COULD BE PROVOCATIVE.
THEY COULD FIGHT A MISSILE OVER
TAIWAN.
THEY HAVE DONE SOME THINGS
RECENTLY THAT HAVE NOT GOTTEN
ATTENTION, BUT THAT ARE
EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.
ON FEBRUARY 5, THEY FLEW A PLANE
DIRECTLY OVER TAIWAN ISLAND.
THAT IS A VIOLATION OF TAIWAN'S
SOVEREIGNTY.
SO THE CHINESE HAVE MADE IT
VERY CLEAR THAT THEY ARE
WILLING TO DO THINGS THAT WILL
TAKE US BY SURPRISE.
AND WE KNOW THAT NOW THAT I
HAVE MADE THIS A TEST OF WILLS
AND SAID THEY'RE GOING TO DO
SOMETHING, THEY CANNOT JUST
SHRINK AWAY AND SAY THIS
DOESN'T REALLY MATTER.
>> BEFORE WE GO, GORDON, HOW
MUCH IN THE CONTEXT OF THINGS
DOES THE UNITED STATES IN
TAIWAN RELY ON EACH OTHER?
THERE IS AN ECONOMIC TIME AT
DYNAMIC THERE.
BUT IS THERE SOME SENSE OF
SECURITY RELATIONSHIP THERE FOR
TAIWAN AS WELL CONNECT
>> SINCE THE 19th CENTURY,
MICHAEL, WE AMERICANS HAVE
DRAWN OUR WESTERN DEFENSE
PERIMETER OFF THE COAST OF EAST
ASIA.
TAIWAN IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT
LINE.
EVEN MORE IMPORTANT, AS CHINA
ATTACKED NOT ONLY OUR DEMOCRACY
BUT DEMOCRACIES IN GENERAL, WE
CANNOT ALLOW THE CHINESE TO
ABSORB ANY DEMOCRACY.
ESPECIALLY ONE AS IMPORTANT AS
TAIWAN.
SO, YES, DEFENDING TAIWAN IN MY