MILITARY CLASH OR ACCIDENTS BETWEEN THE TWO. BETWEEN THE TWO. >> DIANE IAN PANNELL, THANK >> DIANE IAN PANNELL, THANK YOU . YOU . LET'S BRING IN SENIOR PENTAGON LET'S BRING IN SENIOR PENTAGON REPORTER LUIS MARTINEZ FOR REPORTER LUIS MARTINEZ FOR MORE . MORE . LOUI, CHINA SUGGESTING THE U.S. LOUI, CHINA SUGGESTING THE U.S. WARSHIPS SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN IN WARSHIPS SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN IN THE AREA AT ALL. THE AREA AT ALL. SO HOW IS THE PENTAGON SO HOW IS THE PENTAGON RESPONDING TO THAT? RESPONDING TO THAT? >> THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT >> THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT THE TAIWAN STRAIT. THE TAIWAN STRAIT. THAT'S THE BODY OF WATER THAT THAT'S THE BODY OF WATER THAT DIVIDES MAINLAND CHINA FROM DIVIDES MAINLAND CHINA FROM TAIWAN. TAIWAN. AND THOSE ARE INTERNATIONAL AND THOSE ARE INTERNATIONAL WATERS. WATERS. SO THE UNITED STATES NAVY SO THE UNITED STATES NAVY CONSIDER SENDS U.S. NAVY SHIPS CONSIDER SENDS U.S. NAVY SHIPS THROUGH THAT BODY OF WATER THROUGH THAT BODY OF WATER TO REAFFIRM THESE ARE, IN FACT, TO REAFFIRM THESE ARE, IN FACT, INTERNATIONAL WATERS AND NOT INTERNATIONAL WATERS AND NOT PART OF OR NEAR THOSE PART OF OR NEAR THOSE TERRITORIAL WATERS OF CHINA. TERRITORIAL WATERS OF CHINA. AS YOU JUST HEARD IN IAN'S AS YOU JUST HEARD IN IAN'S PACKAGE. PACKAGE. SO WHAT THE UNITED STATES IS SO WHAT THE UNITED STATES IS DOING HERE IS THEY ARE DOING HERE IS THEY ARE REAFFIRMING THAT THEY WILL REAFFIRMING THAT THEY WILL CONTINUE TO DO THESE KINDS OF CONTINUE TO DO THESE KINDS OF MISSIONS IN THE FUTURE. MISSIONS IN THE FUTURE. BUT AGAIN, WHEN YOU HEAR THIS BUT AGAIN, WHEN YOU HEAR THIS LANGUAGE FROM THE CHINESE BEING LANGUAGE FROM THE CHINESE BEING EMPHATIC THAT IT'S THE UNITED EMPHATIC THAT IT'S THE UNITED STATES THAT'S BEING STATES THAT'S BEING PROVOCATIVE, I THINK IT'S PROVOCATIVE, I THINK IT'S THE OPPOSITE BECAUSE YOU SEE THE OPPOSITE BECAUSE YOU SEE HERE FROM THIS VIDEO THAT HERE FROM THIS VIDEO THAT THE UNITED STATES ACTUALLY THE UNITED STATES ACTUALLY RELEASED THIS VIDEO JUST RELEASED THIS VIDEO JUST TO MAKE THE POINT OF HOW CLOSE TO MAKE THE POINT OF HOW CLOSE THAT CHINESE SHIP WAS THAT CHINESE SHIP WAS AND CUTTING OFF THE AMERICAN AND CUTTING OFF THE AMERICAN SHIP AS IT MADE ITS WAY THROUGH SHIP AS IT MADE ITS WAY THROUGH THE TAIWAN STRAIT. THE TAIWAN STRAIT. >> AS DEFENSE SECRETARY LLOYD >> AS DEFENSE SECRETARY LLOYD AUSTIN IS CALLING FOR AUSTIN IS CALLING FOR MORE COMMUNICATION WITH CHINA, MORE COMMUNICATION WITH CHINA, HOW IS THE U.S. TRYING HOW IS THE U.S. TRYING TO DECREASE TENSIONS THAN TO DECREASE TENSIONS THAN THE UNITED STATES HAS BEEN VERY THE UNITED STATES HAS BEEN VERY EMPHATIC THAT THEY WANT EMPHATIC THAT THEY WANT TO MAINTAIN A MILITARY MILITARY TO MAINTAIN A MILITARY MILITARY RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA TO AVOID ANY ANY INCIDENTS THAT TO AVOID ANY ANY INCIDENTS THAT COULD GET SPIRAL OUT OF COULD GET SPIRAL OUT OF CONTROL. CONTROL. AS AUSTIN HAS SAID REPEATEDLY, AS AUSTIN HAS SAID REPEATEDLY, THIS WEEK, HE SAYS WHEN THIS WEEK, HE SAYS WHEN THEY SPIRAL OUT OF CONTROL THEY SPIRAL OUT OF CONTROL IS BECAUSE THERE'S A LACK OF IS BECAUSE THERE'S A LACK OF CONTACT BETWEEN TWO MILITARIES. CONTACT BETWEEN TWO MILITARIES. AND SO THE UNITED STATES AND AND SO THE UNITED STATES AND CHINA HAVE HAD VERY LITTLE CHINA HAVE HAD VERY LITTLE MILITARY CONTACT OVER THE LAST MILITARY CONTACT OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS. TWO YEARS. AND WHAT WOULD AUSTIN AND OTHER AND WHAT WOULD AUSTIN AND OTHER U.S. OFFICIALS ARE TRYING TO DO U.S. OFFICIALS ARE TRYING TO DO IS TRY TO REESTABLISH THAT IS TRY TO REESTABLISH THAT WHILE THEY TRIED THAT AT THAT WHILE THEY TRIED THAT AT THAT SECURITY CONFERENCE IN SECURITY CONFERENCE IN SINGAPORE THAT AUSTIN SINGAPORE THAT AUSTIN IS ATTENDING. IS ATTENDING. HE REACHED OUT TO THE CHINESE HE REACHED OUT TO THE CHINESE BEFOREHAND TO GET A MEETING BEFOREHAND TO GET A MEETING WITH HIS CHINESE COUNTERPART WITH HIS CHINESE COUNTERPART AND THEY REBUFFED HIM. AND THEY REBUFFED HIM. AND INSTEAD HE WALKED OVER AND INSTEAD HE WALKED OVER TO HIM AT A DINNER FOR TO HIM AT A DINNER FOR THE SECURITY LEADERS ATTENDING THE SECURITY LEADERS ATTENDING THIS CONFERENCE. THIS CONFERENCE. AND HE WAS ABLE TO SHAKE HIS AND HE WAS ABLE TO SHAKE HIS HAND . HAND . BUT LATER YOU HEARD AUSTIN SAY BUT LATER YOU HEARD AUSTIN SAY A HANDSHAKE AND PLEASANTRIES A HANDSHAKE AND PLEASANTRIES ARE NOT ENOUGH. ARE NOT ENOUGH. WHAT WE NEED IS MEANINGFUL WHAT WE NEED IS MEANINGFUL CONTACT. CONTACT. AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SEEING AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SEEING FROM THE UNITED STATES ARE FROM THE UNITED STATES ARE GOING TO TRY TO REAFFIRM THAT GOING TO TRY TO REAFFIRM THAT RIGHT NOW YOU'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW YOU'RE SEEING A JUNIOR STATE DEPARTMENT A JUNIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ACTUALLY ARRIVE IN OFFICIAL ACTUALLY ARRIVE IN CHINA FOR SOME WORKING LEVEL CHINA FOR SOME WORKING LEVEL MEETINGS TO TRY TO MAINTAIN MEETINGS TO TRY TO MAINTAIN THOSE CONTACTS. THOSE CONTACTS. BUT WE'RE SEEING IN CHINESE BUT WE'RE SEEING IN CHINESE STATE MEDIA THAT THEY'RE KIND STATE MEDIA THAT THEY'RE KIND OF DOWNPLAYING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF DOWNPLAYING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THOSE MEETINGS. OF THOSE MEETINGS. >> AND THIS IS THE LATEST. >> AND THIS IS THE LATEST. AND WHAT THE U.S. CALLS AND WHAT THE U.S. CALLS A SERIES OF AGGRESSIVE ACTIONS A SERIES OF AGGRESSIVE ACTIONS BY CHINA. BY CHINA. HOW CONCERNING IS THAT PATTERN HOW CONCERNING IS THAT PATTERN ? ? >> IT'S VERY CONCERNING >> IT'S VERY CONCERNING TO OFFICIALS HERE AT TO OFFICIALS HERE AT THE PENTAGON TODAY. THE PENTAGON TODAY. AND THEY SAY THAT THIS AND THEY SAY THAT THIS IS PROBABLY NOT JUST SOME ROGUE IS PROBABLY NOT JUST SOME ROGUE PILOTS OR ROGUE SHIP COMMANDERS PILOTS OR ROGUE SHIP COMMANDERS OR THAT THIS IS BEING DONE OR THAT THIS IS BEING DONE WITH COORDINATION FROM THE VERY WITH COORDINATION FROM THE VERY TOP WITHIN THE CHINESE TOP WITHIN THE CHINESE POLITICAL LEADERSHIP. POLITICAL LEADERSHIP. AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THESE AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THESE PATTERNS THAT WE SAW JUST LAST PATTERNS THAT WE SAW JUST LAST WEEK, THAT VIDEO OF THE CHINESE WEEK, THAT VIDEO OF THE CHINESE JET FIGHTER STREAKING ACROSS JET FIGHTER STREAKING ACROSS THE PATH OF THE AMERICAN THE PATH OF THE AMERICAN RECONNAISSANCE PLANE. RECONNAISSANCE PLANE. YOU SAW THE AMERICAN PLANE YOU SAW THE AMERICAN PLANE ACTUALLY FLYING THROUGH THAT ACTUALLY FLYING THROUGH THAT TURBULENCE AS IT WAS SHAKING TURBULENCE AS IT WAS SHAKING THROUGH THE COCKPIT BEFORE THROUGH THE COCKPIT BEFORE THAT. THAT. WE'VE SEEN ANOTHER INCIDENT WE'VE SEEN ANOTHER INCIDENT BACK IN DECEMBER WHERE ANOTHER BACK IN DECEMBER WHERE ANOTHER JET FIGHTER ACTUALLY CAME JET FIGHTER ACTUALLY CAME WITHIN 10 FEET OF ANOTHER WITHIN 10 FEET OF ANOTHER SIMILAR RECONNAISSANCE PLANE. SIMILAR RECONNAISSANCE PLANE. SO IT'S THIS WHOLE PATTERN THAT SO IT'S THIS WHOLE PATTERN THAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE AIR WE'RE SEEING IN THE AIR AND ALSO IN THE SEA, ESPECIALLY AND ALSO IN THE SEA, ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA, WHERE IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA, WHERE CHINA HAS MADE THESE CHINA HAS MADE THESE TERRITORIAL CLAIMS OF AREAS TERRITORIAL CLAIMS OF AREAS THAT ARE REALLY INTERNATIONAL THAT ARE REALLY INTERNATIONAL WATERS. WATERS. AND SO THE UNITED STATES TRYING AND SO THE UNITED STATES TRYING TO REAFFIRM THAT BY SENDING TO REAFFIRM THAT BY SENDING AMERICAN PLANES AND SHIPS AMERICAN PLANES AND SHIPS THROUGH THOSE AREAS. THROUGH THOSE AREAS. BUT ALL IN ALL, WHAT WE'RE BUT ALL IN ALL, WHAT WE'RE SEEING