>>> CHINA MAKING VERY CLEAR TODAY ITS ANGER AT THE UNITED
STATES AND ESPECIALLY AT NANCY PELOSI.
THE HOUSE SPEAKER IS NOW IN SOUTH KOREA AFTER WRAPPING UP A
DEFIANT VISIT TO TAIWAN EARLIER TODAY.
JUST VISITING MADE CHINA FURIOUS, BUT SPEAKER PELOSI DID
MORE THAN JUST HOLD PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES.
SHE SPOKE WHEN VISITING TAIWAN'S PARLIAMENT, AND SHE SPOKE AGAIN
WHEN MEETING WITH ITS PRESIDENT. >> TODAY OUR DELEGATION WHICH
I'M VERY PROUD, CAME TO TAIWAN TO MAKE UNEQUIVOCALLY CLEAR
WE'LL NOT ABANDON OUR COMMITMENT TO TAIWAN AND WE'RE PROUDF OUR
ENDURING FRIENDSHIP. >> CHINA IMMEDIATELY SENDING A
MESSAGE THAT FRIENDSHIP HAS ITS PRICE.
LET'S GET STRAIGHT TO BEIJING, LIVE NOW WITH CNN'S SALINA WANG.
>> CHINA'S RETALIATION IS JUST GETTING STARTED.
IT FLEW DOZENS OF WAR PLANES AROUND THE ISLAND AND ALSO
LAUNCHING A SERIES OF MILITARY DRILLS AROUND THE ISLAND.
BEIJING EVEN RELEASED A MAP OF THE MILITARY DRILLS AND IF YOU
LOOK AT IT, IT LITERALLY ENCIRCLED THE ISLAND AND THE MAP
INDICATES SOME OF THOSE COULD ENCROACH ON THE TERRITORIAL
WATERS. THAT MEANS IT'S 14 MILES OF
TAIWAN'S SHORE. TAIWAN IS CALLING THIS A
BLOCKADE THAT ENDANGERS REGIONAL SECURITY.
THE WHITE HOUSE IS SAYING, LOOK, THIS IS PRETTY MUCH WHAT WE
EXPECTED AND THEY'RE URGING BEIJING NOT TO ESCALATE THE
TENSIONS. WE'LL HAVE TO WATCH CLOSELY TO
SEE JUST HOW FAR BEIJING TAKES THIS.
BECAUSE, YES, WE'RE AT A MOMENT WHERE XI JINPING, CHINA'S LEADER
CANNOT LOOK WEAK, BUT HE ALSO CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE THIS
ESCALATE INTO A CRISIS. WE HAVE TO REMEMBER WHEN WE SEE
THESE STRONG REACTIONS FROM BEIJING IT'S DIRECTED TOWARDS
TAIWAN, YES, AND THE U.S., BUT IT'S ALSO DIRECTED TO THE HOME
AUDIENCE. THEY'RE TRYING TO PROVE TO THE
CHINESE PEOPLE THAT BEIJING IS TAKING VERY SERIOUSLY WHAT THEY
SEE AS A NATIONAL HUMILIATION BECAUSE THEY SEE TAIWAN AS A
RENEGADE PROVINCE THAT MUST BE REUNIFIED WITH THE MAINLAND EVEN
BY FORCE IF NECESSARY. >> THE FORMER DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE. SALINA MAKES A KEY POINT THERE.
CHINA IS MAD. THE UNITED STATES AND TAIWAN
KNOW THERE'S GOING TO BE A RESPONSE.
WHERE'S THE LINE? TAIWAN VIEWS WHAT'S HAPPENING
LIVE FIRE EXERCISES, THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE BUT PREDICTABLE.
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR TO SEE WHETHER THIS TURNS FROM A
LOWERCASE CRISIS INTO A CAPITAL BOLD FACED CRISIS?
>> I THINK THERE ARE TWO THINGS. ONE ARE THE ACTIVITIES AND THE
OTHER IS HOW LONG THIS LASTS. SO THEY'RE PLANNING THESE
EXERCISES FOR ABOUT FOUR DAYS. I THINK IT WILL GO INTO THE
TERRITORIAL WATERS. WE'RE VERY CLOSE, AND MAYBE EVEN
MORE FLYOVERS OF THE MEDIAN LINE, WHICH IS RATHER
UNPRECEDENTED. IT'S REALLY ONLY HAPPENED ONCE
AT SCALE. THE LAST TIME THERE WAS A MAJOR
HIGH LEVEL U.S. OFFICIAL DURING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.
AND WE COULD SEE A LOT MORE IN TERMS OF CYBER, MAYBE MORE
ECONOMIC THINGS. BUT HOPEFULLY IT WILL DIE DOWN.
ONE SCHOOL OF THOUGHT SAYS THAT, AND ANOTHER SAYS THAT THIS IS
GOING TO BE THE FOURTH MAJOR STRAIGHT CRISIS, THE LAST ONE
BEING THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION.
I'M KIND OF SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE MAYBE WE'RE GOING TO SEE
A LOT OF RATCHETING UP, RATCHETING DOWN CONTINUING AND
CHINA IS GOING TO BE A LOT MORE AGGRESSIVE.
>> IS IT A PAGE-TURNER, GAME CHANGING INCIDENT SHE DIDN'T
HAVE TO SPEAK, SHE TWICE SPOKE KNOWING HER REMARKS WOULD
INFURIATE CHINA. AND BOTH TIMES SHE SPOKE SHE
SAID THIS WAS A TEST NOW BETWEEN DICTATORSHIP AND DEMOCRACY.
WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO SAY PUBLICLY THE UNITED STATES WOULD
STAND WITH TAIWAN IF BEIJING WOULD TRY TO TAKE IT BY FORCE.
SHE WANTS TO CHANGE THAT CLEARLY.
WILL IT HAPPEN? >> AS ONE ANALYST I LIKE TO LOOK
AT SAYS THIS ISN'T AN EVENT, THIS IS PROCESS.
AND I THINK THAT THIS PROCESS OF OUR RELATIONSHIP HAS BEEN
TILTING. IT HAS BEEN SLOWLY TURNING, AND
I THINK IT IS, AND FROM HERE I THINK THIS IS AN INFLECTION
POINT, AND WE ARE GOING TO SEE THIS RELATIONSHIP.
I MEAN THERE ARE ROUGH WATERS AHEAD NO MATTER WHAT LOOKING AT
ALL THE SCENARIOS. DO ROUGH WATERS INCLUDE THE
POSSIBILITY OF WAR EITHER BY DESIGN OR MISCALCULATION?
>> CERTAINLY THERE'S SOME ROOM FOR MISCALCULATION AND EVERYBODY
IS WORRIED ABOUT THAT. I THINK IN THIS INSTANCE WE ARE
BEING CAREFUL, THE LANGUAGE COMING OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE
CAREFUL SO THINGS CAN HAPPEN. THERE'S THIS FRICTION THAT
ALWAYS TAKES PLACE BUT I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE REAL DANGER
IS WHEN IS XI GOING TO MILITARILY ATTACK TAIWAN?
AND I THINK INCREASINGLY IN MY MIND THAT'S AN INEVITABLY EVEN
IF IT'S NOT A NEAR TERM ONE. THERE LET'S GET MORE FROM
WASHINGTON. CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER
NATASHA BERTRAND IS STANDING BY WITH THAT INFORMATION.
I JUST WANT TO BRING UP THIS MAP WILL BE SEEING THE CHINESE
MILITARY DRILLS. AND WE KNOW THAT THEY WILL BE
COMING VERY CLOSE TO TAIWANESE VOTERS AS WELL.
IN THE NEXT 40 MILES OR, SO NATASHA IS IT LIKELY THAT THE
U.S. IS GOING TO RESPOND, PUT OUT A STATEMENT, SAY WHAT THEY
ARE WORRIED ABOUT WE? ?
WE KNEW THAT SHE JINPING WOULD WANT TO RESPOND FORCEFULLY
AGAINST WHAT IS NOW BEING SHOWN IN TERMS OF WHAT IS BEING DONE
IN THIS MAP AROUND TAIWAN. >> THAT IS THE BIG QUESTION AT
THIS HOUR IS WHETHER THE U.S. IS ACTUALLY GONNA RESPOND WITH
ITS OWN SHOW OF FORCE A RESPONSE TO THESE LIVE FIRE
EXERCISES THAT CHINA IS ENGAGING IN OFF THE COAST OF
TAIWAN. NOW ALL INDICATIONS AT THIS
POINT ARE THAT THEY ARE NOT GOING TO.
THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL SPOKESPERSON, JOHN KIRBY, HE
CAME OUT THIS MORNING AND HE SAID AND THAT THEY EXPECTED
THIS. THEY EXPECTED CHINA TO RUN WITH
THIS PLAYBOOK, IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT THEY ARE
NECESSARILY SURPRISED BY. AND THAT THEY ARE ESSENTIALLY
GOING TO WATCH HOW THIS ALL PLAYS OUT.
SO, IN OTHER WORDS, IT DOES NOT SEEM AS THOUGH THE U.S. IS
GOING TO ENGAGE IN A DIRECT KIND OF CONFRONTATION WITH THE
CHINESE OR SOMETHING THAT CAN POTENTIALLY SPOT OF CONTROL.
THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT THE U.S. WANTS, AT THIS MOMENT.
HOWEVER, KIRBY DID SAY THAT THE U.S. IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO
OPERATE IN THE AIR, AND IN THE SEAS, AS I HAVE FOR MANY
DECADES. AND THAT THE U.S. IS NOT GOING
TO CHANGE ITS BEHAVIOR AS A RESULT OF THE CHINESE
PROVOCATIONS, HERE. AT THE SAME TIME, KIRBY SAID
THAT THE U.S. IS NOT GOING TO ENGAGE IN ITS OWN KIND OF
SABER-RATTLING IT IS NOT GONNA TRY TO PROVOKE THE CHINESE IN
ANY WAY. ESSENTIALLY, THE MESSAGE HERE,
IS THAT THEY ARE GOING TO WATCH AND SEE HOW THIS PLAYS OUT.
AND OF COURSE, IF CHINA WERE TO MAKE ANY KIND OF OVERLY
AGGRESSIVE MOVES DIRECTLY AGAINST TAIWAN.
FOR EXAMPLE, KIND OF CROSSING THE LINES OF THE U.S. PERHAPS
DID NOT ANTICIPATE, THEN IT RESERVES THE RIGHT OF COURSE TO
DEFEND TAIWAN IN ANY WAY THAT THE U.S. DEEMS NECESSARY.
THEY HAVE NOT OF COURSE TAKEN THAT OFF THE TABLE, AND THE
PRESIDENT HAS SAID MANY TIMES THAT IT IS THE UNITED STATES
RESPONSIBILITY TO DEFEND TAIWAN IN THE EVENT OF A KIND OF, YOU
KNOW, I KIND OF MAJOR AGGRESSION BY CHINA GET SILENT.
SO REMAINS TO BE SEEN HOW THE U.S. IS GOING TO RESPOND TO
THIS. THEY HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING
INTERNALLY WHAT THE POTENTIAL OPTIONS ARE, HERE.
IF CHINA DOES GET ACROSS THE LINE.
BUT AGAIN, THEY ARE NOT FEELING ANY THIS ISN'T EXPECTED.
THEY HAVE SAID REPEATEDLY THAT THEY ANTICIPATE THAT CHINA
WOULD RESPOND IN SOME TYPE OF WAY OF GETTING ALL OF THE
ANNOUNCEMENTS SHE JINPING HAS PUT OUT THERE AHEAD OF PELOSI
AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE GONNA SEE HOW IT'S GONNA PLAY.
OUT >> IN A VERY STRONG LANGUAGE BY THE CHINESE, IN THE
LAST FEW. DAYS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
REALLY STRUCK ME WAS, THE MILITARY SAYING THAT WE WILL
BEAR THE ENEMY. AND SELINA JUST REITERATED THE
FACT THAT, THIS ISN'T ACTUALLY RETALIATION PERHAPS AGAINST
UNITED STATES PER SE BUT RATHER ON TAIWAN.
HOW CONCERNED IS THE U.S. RIGHT NOW THAT THERE COULD BE A
TARGET ON THE LINE, OR DO YOU THINK THAT IS GOING TO BE
CONTAINED TO SHOW SORT OF STRENGTH AROUND TAIWAN AND
SHOWING THE WORLD THAT THIS IS SOVEREIGNTY, THIS IS WHAT THEY
THINK IN TERMS OF THE ONE CHINA POLICY.
SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE BEEN HEARING IN TERMS OF RHETORIC
FROM SHE JINPING FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
>> I THINK THAT THE MAIN CONCERN THAT THE WHITE HOUSE
HAS RIGHT NOW IS THAT SOMETHING ACCIDENTAL HAPPENED.
IT IS MORE SO THAN ANY KIND OF POTENTIAL DIRECT CONFRONTATION
BETWEEN, FOR EXAMPLE, U.S. FORCES ARE OPERATING IN THE
WESTERN PACIFIC, AND CHINESE FORCES WHO ARE CONDUCTING THE
STRUGGLES. BUT THEY ARE CONCERNED BY IS
SOME KIND OF MISCALCULATION THAT SPRAWLS OUT OF CONTROL.
THAT IS SOMETHING THE JOHN KIRBY, AGAIN THE NATIONAL
SECURITY COUNCIL SPOKESMAN, HAS MADE VERY CLEAR IN RECENT DAYS.
THAT BECAUSE THE CHINESE AND HIS ESTIMATION DON'T REALLY
SEEM TO BE THINKING STRATEGICALLY HERE, AND SEEM TO
BE REACTING KIND OF EMOTIONALLY TO THIS VISIT BY PELOSI, THAT
SOMETHING WHO GO TOTALLY WRONG AND CHINA CAN WAS CALCULATE.
THE U.S. OF COURSE, THEY HAVE SAID THAT THEY DO ANTICIPATE
THAT THIS COULD GO ON FOR QUITE AWHILE.
IF YOU GO ON OVER THE HORIZON, AS KIRBY SAID, RECENTLY.
AND THAT THEY EXPECT CHINA TO NOT JUST DROP THIS ANYTIME
SOON. BECAUSE THEY VIEW THE STRUCK BY
PELOSI AS A MAJOR PROVOCATION. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THERE IS
ALSO AN UNDERSTANDING HERE IN THE U.S. THAT CHINA'S PRESIDENT
IS IN THIS EARLY WANT HUGE ESCALATION IN COMPETITION WITH
THE UNITED STATES RIGHT NOW. AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT
AGAIN, IF THEY CROSS THAT LINE, THEY CAN VERY WELL GET,
ELAINE. >> ALL RIGHT, NATASHA
BERTRAND GOOD TO SEE YOU. THANKYOU.