GOVERNMENT REGULARLY CALLS

TAIWAN THE MOST SENSITIVE AND

IMPORTANT ISSUE WITH THE

UNITED STATES.

AND NOW THEY'RE RAISING THE

STAKES EVEN HIGHER.

AND IT COULD HAVE MAJOR

RAMIFICATIONS FOR OUR

MILITARY.

SENT FIGHTER JETS AND BOMBERS

TO PATROL TAIWAN AND A SENIOR

CHINESE DIPLOMAT AROUND THAT

BEIJING WOULD INVADE THE

SELF-GOVERNED ISLAND IF ANY

U.S. WARSHIPS MADE PORT VISITS

THERE.

THE WHITE HOUSE IS LEGALLY

OBLIGATED BY TAIWAN RELATIONS

ACT, THE TRA AS YOU KNOW TO

RESPOND TO ANY CHINESE USE OF

FORCE AGAINST TAIWAN AND WHILE

THE AGREEMENT IS NOT AS

BINDING THE DEFENSE TREATY,

MAKES IT CLEAR THAT WASHINGTON

IS LIKELY TO INTERVENE IF

CHINA INVADES.

SO WHY IS CHINA PUSHING OUR

BUTTONS?

AND WILL THIS LEAD TO OUR

HOST AND THE COMBAT VETERAN

BRIAN SUITS.

WELCOME BACK.

>> HEY, THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

KENNEDY: LET'S DISCUSS THIS A

LITTLE BIT.

DOES CHINA WANT A HOT WAR WITH

THE UNITED STATES?

>> NO. BUT THEY DO WANT TO

REMIND US THAT THEY GET A SAY

IN WHAT HAPPENS IN ASIA

BECAUSE LATELY, THE UNITED

STATES HAS BEEN KIND OF

RUNNING THE TABLE ON LEADING

THE AGENDA IN NORTH KOREA AND

THE CHINESE ARE REMINDING US,

YOU KNOW, HEY, WE GET A SAY ON

SOME OTHER CONTENTIOUS

ISSUES.

BECAUSE SPECIFICALLY, WHAT HAS

SET THEM OFF IS THAT CONGRESS

AUTHORIZED THE U.S. NAVY TO

MAKE PORT CALLS IN TAIWAN.

AND THAT HASN'T HAPPENED IN A

LONG TIME.

THE CHINESE HAVE SAID, OH, --

THE CHINESE DIPLOMATS IN DC

LAST WEEK SAID YOU DO THAT --

THE DAY YOU VISIT THE PORT

CITY IN TAIWAN IS THE DAY THAT

THE PEOPLE -- BY 1948, IT'S A

DIFFERENT CHINA.

NOW, THEY DO BELIEVE

MILITARILY THAT THEY COULD DO

IT WOULD COST BILLIONS.

KENNEDY: WELL, NOT TO MENTION

HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST THEIR

MILITARY ISN'T AS BEEFY AS

OURS.

BUT ALSO, IT WOULD LAUNCH

RIGHT INTO A REALLY DISGUSTING

TRADE WAR THAT, YOU KNOW,

CHINA WOULD CERTAINLY BE ON

THE LOSING SIDE OF THAT.

THAT'S A BIG WIN FOR US.

BUT IT'S PROBABLY WHAT THEY

DON'T WANT.

WHAT I'M WONDERING HERE IS

THERE'S SOME AGREEMENT THAT WE

HAVE WITH BEIJING ABOUT TAIWAN

LEADERS OF OUR RESPECTIVE

COUNTRIES GOT TOGETHER AND

SAID. OKAY. LISTEN.

CHINA, YOU HAVE TO TAKE CARE

OF NORTH KOREA.

THIS COULD END THE WORLD.

FINE, WE'LL DO IT.

BUT JUST LEAVE US ALONE WITH

TAIWAN.

>> IT WOULDN'T SURPRISE ME IF

SAYING ON THE ONE HAND ON THE

BACK LINE, YOU WANT US TO USE

WHATEVER INFLUENCE WE HAVE

WITH THE DPRK.

YET, YOU'RE NOT EVEN

NEGOTIATING OUR CLAIM THAT

TAIWAN IS A BREAK AWAY

PROVINCE.

AND SO THAT'S WHAT THEY REALLY

WANT IS THEY DO WANT AN

AGREEMENT THAT THE U.S. STAYS

OUT OF IT SO THAT IN 20 YEARS,

CHINA PROBABLY ABSORBS TAIWAN

WITH THE CONSENT OF THE

I THINK YOU HAVE AN INCREDIBLE

GRASP ON GLOBAL AFFAIRS THAT

IS UNPARALLELED IN MY

UNIVERSE.

BUT I THINK CHINA IS GOING TO

WAIT FOR THINGS TO HEAT UP

WITH NORTH KOREA.

AND WHILE WE'RE BUSY

AN ASSESSMENT OF THIS WHITE

HOUSE, AND THEY SAY AMERICA IS

TACTICAL DISTRACTED IN THE

MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH KOREA.

THEY ARE ALSO, BY THE WAY,

STRATEGICALLY DISTRACTED.

AND RIGHT WHEN WE THOUGHT --

KENNEDY: THANKS, TWITTER.

OR TELEGRAPH HIS PUNCHES.

YOU JUST HAVE TO FOLLOW THE

TWITTER FEED.

SO THE CHINESE KNOW THAT WE

ARE STRATEGICALLY DISTRACTED.

AND THEY'RE LOOKING AT THIS

SAYING HOW CAN WE WORK THIS IN

OUR ADVANTAGE?

>> YEAH. IT'S NEVER BEEN

STRONGER.

THE CONDITIONS HAVE NEVER BEEN

BETTER, YOU KNOW?

BECAUSE THERE'S A

CONSIDERATION WITH THE CHINESE

MILITARY WHO HAVE GROWN UP

WITH A MORE MODERNIZED CHINESE

MILITARY.

THEY DON'T REMEMBER THE DAYS

OF THE HUMAN WAVES AND THE

TECHNOLOGICAL BACKWARDNESS IN