THAT. BUT ONCE AGAIN UPONBISHOP FORD SLOW BECAUSE THATPOLICE ACTIVITY ALREADY. THANKYOU, SHANNON. LET'S GET BACKTO ONE OF OUR TOP HEADLINESFEW MINUTES AGO, U.S. HOUSESPEAKER NANCY PELOSI IS INTAIWAN RIGHT NOW. SHE SAID INA WASHINGTON POST OPINIONPIECE THAT THE U.S. MUST STANDWITH THE ISLAND.U.S. AND CHINESE MILITARIES TOBOOST THEIR MOVEMENTS. MATTABBOTT IS THE DIRECTOR OFGOVERNMENT AND DIPLOMATICPROGRAMS AT THE CHICAGOCOUNCIL ON HIS WORK FOR ADECADE WITH STAFF IN CONGRESSAND TRAVEL TO TAIWAN. MATT,THANKS FOR BEING WITH US.THANKS SO MUCH, BEN ANDLOURDES. I REALLY APPRECIATETHE OPPORTUNITY. WELL, FIRST,GIVE US THE BRIEF HISTORYLESSON ON WHY TAIWAN IS SUCH ATOUCHY SUBJECT FOR CHINA.ABSOLUTELY. SO 21, IT HASALWAYS BEEN TOUCHY SUBJECT FORTRYING CHINA HAS ALWAYSASSERTED CONTROL OVER THEISLAND. HOWEVER, THAT THECHINESE GOVERNMENT EXERTS DEFACTO CONTROL OVER OVER ITSGOVERNANCE. IT'S ECONOMICS.AND THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FORSPEAKER PELOSI TO REINFORCEAMERICA'S COMMITMENT TODEMOCRACY. A DEMOCRATICVALUES, HUMAN RIGHTS UNDERVISIT TO THE ISLAND.LOURDES DUARTE: OKAY. SO IWANT YOU TO TALK A LITTLE BITABOUT THE POTENTIAL. IS THERESIGNIFICANT RISK OF MILITARYESCALATION BY CHINA BECAUSEMOVEMENT RIGHT TO MILITARYDRILLS. A FE ANNOUNCED THATTHEY WOULD BE DOING.ABSOLUTELY. SO THAT THATPOSSIBILITY. CERTAINLY THEREFIRST WE ALREADY SAW A CHINESECHINESE OFFICIALS SPOKE OUTVERY FORCEFULLY AND PUBLICLYCONDEMNING THE VISIT. THEREWERE ALSO REPORTS BEFORE THESPEAKER'S PLANE LANDED INTAIWAN. THE CHINESE MILITARYAIRCRAFT CLOSE TO THE MEDIANLINE UP TO TRY ONE STREET THISMORNING, WHICH IS CERTAINLY AVERY PROVOCATIVE ACTION. I'MJUST VERY CONCERNED THATMISCALCULATION ORMISCOMMUNICATION BECAUSE ALLIT TAKES IS ONE ACCIDENT FOR ADRAMATIC ESCALATION RIGHT NOW.SO IT'S IMPERATIVE FOR ALLSIDES TO MAINTAIN EFFECTIVECHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION ANDTAKE PROACTIVE STEPS TODE-ESCALATE WHENEVER POSSIBLE.THAT'S ALWAYS THE DANGER WITHTHERE WAS SOME TALK WHENVLADIMIR PUTIN.WHEN IN THE UKRAINE, THETHAT CHINA WOULD BE WATCHINGTHE WORLD'S RESPONSE TO THATAND TAKE IT PERHAPS IS AS ASIGNAL OF WHETHER OR NOT ITCOULD EXERT MORE CONTROL OVERTAIWAN. DO YOU SEE THAT AS ABACKDROP TO WHY THE HOUSESPEAKER MIGHT WANT TO GO THEREAND IN A SENSE FURTHER PLANT,THE U.S. FLAG IN TAIWAN?ABSOLUTELY. I THINK IT'SIMPORTANT RIGHT NOW TOREINFORCE THAT COMMITMENT TODEMOCRATIC VALUES, HUMANRIGHTS AND FRANKLY, I THINKTHAT CHINA HAS LEARNED A LOTEXPERIENCING UKRAINE IF THEREEVER WERE TO BE A CHINESEINVASION OF TAIWAN. AND WENEED TO BE VERY FORCEFUL, EVENNEED TO BE QUITE REACTIVE. ANDIN THE EARLY DAYS OF THEINVASION, I U.S. OFFICIALSHAVE STATED THAT THIS ISUNLIKELY, AT LEAST UNTIL THELATTER PART OF THIS DECADE.BUT THE SAME TIME IT'STO PICK THOSE PROACTIVE STEPSRIGHT NOW.LOURDES DUARTE: ALL RIGHT.SO WHAT I'M HEARING FROM YOUIS THAT THERE IS A WAY FOR HERTO MAKE THIS TRIP AND SORT OFTAKE DE TAP DANCE HER WAYTHROUGH THAT TRIP TO MAKE SURETHAT THERE ISN'T DEEPERESCALATION MEETING, THATTHINGS DON'T GET WORSE ANDWORSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEENCHINA AND YOUIMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THIS ISNOT A DEVIATION FROM PREVIOUSU.S. POLICY OR ACTIONS. ASITTING SPEAKER OF THE HOUSEVISITED TAIWAN. 25 YEARS AGO,THERE HAVE BEEN DOZENS OFTHESE CONGRESSIONAL MEMBER ANDSTAFF DELEGATION VISITS AND ATLEAST 7 SITTING U.S. SENATORSHAVE ALREADY VISITED TAIWANTHIS YEAR ALONE. SO THIS ISNOT AN PRESIDENT.BEN BRADLEY: GOOD AN ABBOTTFROM THE CHICAGO COUNCIL,THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. WEAPPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU.AGAIN. ALL RIGHT. IN THEMEANTIME,