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Trumps Risky Phone Call With Taiwan's President; Remains Of Crash Victims Being Returned To Brazil; Votes In Italy & Austria Could Redefine Europe; Votes Across The Europe To Test Rise Of Populism; Iceland's Pirate Party To Form New Government; Formula One Champ Nico Roseberg to Retire. Aired Midnight-12:30a ET

Aired December 03, 2016 - 00:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


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[00:00:47] NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: A phone call threatens to cause a diplomatic uproar, Donald Trump speaks with Taiwan's president and risks upsetting China.

A somber good-bye to those killed in the plane crash in Colombia as the victims remain or setback to Brazil.

Plus, Italy and Austria prepare for key votes that could open the political order in Europe. It's all ahead here on "CNN Newsroom." Thanks for joining us. We're live in Atlanta. I'm Natalie Allen.

Donald Trump is risking a major international incident by doing something no U.S. president or president-elect has done in decades. He spoke on Friday with the President of Taiwan which china considers to be a renegade province. The U.S. has respected the One-China policy since 1979. Elise Labott has more on the call and the possible fallout.

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ELISE LABOTT, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIR CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's a stunning breach of protocol and break with decades of U.S. foreign policy, the Trump transition team releasing a statement announcing the call with the Taiwanese president saying during the discussion Trump and the Taiwanese president "noted the close economic, political and security ties that exist between Taiwan and the United States."

President-elect Trump also congratulating the President Tsai lng-wen on becoming the president of Taiwan earlier this year. The Taiwanese had said that the conversation also talked about strengthening the relationship between the U.S. and Taiwan.

Now we understand an adviser to the Trump transition Stephen Yates is in Taiwan. He helped facilitate that call. Yates is a former advisor of vice president Dick Cheney. He's known to be very pro Taiwan. We're told the Obama administration was not told of the call until after it happened.

And already the Chinese are chiming in, speaking to a Taiwanese leader is something no American president or president-elect has done for nearly 40 years because the U.S. has no diplomatic relations with Taiwan since 1979 respecting the One-China policy. China considers Taiwan part of its territory. Chinese state media already calling the exchange unprecedented break in the policy and that Beijing opposes any contact between Washington and Taipei.

So this is sure to cause an initial diplomatic uproar with China even before president-elect Trump takes office. But former diplomats note that many incoming Republican administration have sought to elevate Taiwan over China. President Reagan invited the Taiwanese delegation too, his inaugural ball. The President George W. Bush also increased arms sales to Taiwan.

So while there could be some gestures of early on to show some more respect to Taiwan, long-time former diplomats don't predict this will be an end to the One-China policy because the relationship with China is just too important.

Elise Labott, CNN, Washington.

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ALLEN: So let's find out more about China's response, Steven Jang joins us now from Beijing, with that, Steven, hello.

STEVEN JANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Natalie, we are just hearing the first response from a very senior Chinese officials, the foreign minister just told me that foreign minister Wang Yi early on Saturday responded to a question by a Hong Kong TV station on a sideline of diplomacy foreign. Mr. Wang described the phone call between Mr. Trump and Mrs. Tsai as they little trick or shenanigan by the Taiwan government. He says that is now going to change the global consensus on the One-China principle.

He also said this is now going to change the U.S. government position on the One-China policy. No Mr. Wang did emphasize however, that the One-China policy is a cornerstone of a healthy China-U.S. relationship and that he hopes nothing will disrupt or damage that.

So these are the first words by a senior Chinese official in response to Mr. Trump's phone call. So far it seems like they are trying to give Mr. Trump's team the benefit of the doubt by putting the blame on the government of Taiwan about whether or not a more -- formal statement will come out remains to be seen.

[00:05:12] Now remember Natalie this is a weekend here. It's also -- we are talking about this massive Chinese bureaucracy that tends to takes its time to work its way up in terms of responding to breaking news. But also remember the Chinese are not known to be very creative proactive by maintaining contact with and official sources or channels.

So they may also have difficulties reaching out to Mr. Trump's team. So all these may explain why the Chinese government even though you just heard the foreign minister, himself, why not -- we have not seen a formal statement but that will probably come out later, Natalie. ALLEN: Yeah, eventual yes. And talk a statement about the importance of China and the U.S. friendship. The U.S. needs China to support it and the U.N. when it's time for sanctions. And things like that. And what else is important here and could be at stake?

JANG: There's a lot at stake because this is after all the world's number one and number two economies in the Mediterranean (ph). So, they are not really on a warm and fuzzy sort of relationship recently, you know, because of disagreement over a whole range of issue both strategic and economic and political.

For example the South China Sea, for example North Korea, so they really both sides realize need to work together to maintain a stable and healthy global structure. That's what Mr. Trump and Mr. Xi said when they talked on November 14th. But this phone call is definitely going to have a major impact on that because Taiwan as you mentioned and at least mentioned is one of the so-called red lines that a Chinese government simply will not tolerate anyone from crossing.

And now Mr. Trump has crossed that line and also has tweeted afterwards, trying to justify his actions. It really remains to be seen how the Chinese government is going to respond further. But this is also new territories of course for everyone especially for the Chinese leadership trying to respond to a president-elect that conducts a lot of his foreign policy and diplomacy online, Natalie.

ALLEN: Yes, he does and we got those tweets now. Steven Jang, so you hear more from them. We'll get back you to. But thank you for bringing us the latest there. Donald Trump did take to twitter to defend his conversation with the Taiwan leader. And this is what he twitted "The President of Taiwan called me today to wish me congratulations on winning the presidency. Thank you."

He also tweeted. "Interesting how the U.S. sells Taiwan billions of dollars of military equipment but I should not accept the congratulatory call."

A top Trump advisor was also quick to defend his exchange with Taiwan Kellyanne Conway spoke earlier about the call with CNN's Anderson Cooper. She implies the president-elect was fully aware of the implication.

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KELLYANNE CONWAY, TRUMP SENIOR ADVISOR: I can't discuss anything beyond what has been publicly said. And I won't do that. This is the president-elect. This will be his administration. He'll be commander-of-chief and he'll be president of the United States imminently. Now and he either will disclose or not disclose the full contents of that conversation. But he's well aware of what U.S. policy has been.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: There have been questions about the briefings materials that president-elect Trump has used in phone calls with world leaders, whether or not he's used state department briefing booklets and information and, you know, the expertise of people in the state department that is available to him. Can you confirm if he did consult that before this phone call?

CONWAY: I can confirm that he has access to these materials and he has access to daily briefings. He had access to other information that comes to him from official government agencies and out there.

COOPER: Does he use it though?

CONWAY: Of course he uses it. He reads everything. And the guy is the busiest guy on the planet and pretty much has been for a while now. But as president-elect is fully engaged, where it put's in just pours the time in and has talked too. He and vice president-elect pence have talked to probably about 45 or 50 leaders now or meet them, and talked to 80 people or so as advisers, spokes who are offering their counsel, their experiences, their vision, whether or not they are an official part of his administration.

Aside, there are just people who want to offer their expertise as captains of industry or folks who have been opinion leaders or have been active in government and policy making. And so, as that will continue and he takes information that is given to him and provided to him, he avails himself of any number, different information sources including those that come from the state department and including those that come from intelligence briefings.

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[00:10:07] ALLEN: Donald Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway there speaking with Anderson Cooper there.

And other news, the remains of the victims of Monday's plane crash in Colombia are on their way back to Brazil. 71 were killed, many of them football players for the Brazilian Chapecoense club. Their coffins will be taken to the arena in Chapeco.

Shasta Darlington has more from Columbia.

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SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: For many on the Brazilian soccer team Chapecoense this is the final journey home. Hearses bearing 64 coffins drive slowly through Medellin.

Fans and supporters cheering them on in a last show of solidarity and affection. After the tragic plane crash of LaMia Flight 2933 cut so many lives short. A military guard of honor at the airport where the bodies were received with care and a heart felt tribute. A catholic priest offers a blessing. Then the bodies carried one by one aboard Brazilian military planes. Brazil's ambassador to Colombia just one of many mourning the victims.

JULIO BITELLI, BRAZILLIAN AMBASSADOR TO COLUMBIA: It was a fairy tale, a small club from a small town, ready to play what would be their most important match in history. It just breaks your heart. Everything was ready for a beautiful party.

DARLINGTON: First plane loaded, then the second and third. Finally, taking off for Brazil, where grieving families and fans await.

Shasta Darlington, CNN, Medellin, Colombia.

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[00:15:17] ALLEN: You're watching "CNN Newsroom," separate votes on Sunday might bring major political changes to Europe. A constitutional referendum in Italy could lead to the resignation of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. And Austria could elect the first far right head of state in Western Europe since the end of World War II.

CNN Senior International correspondent Atika Shubert has more from Vienna.

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ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: President- elect Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. has now put a spotlight on possible political shifts in Europe. So is Europe caught up in the same wave and could it sweep far right and nationalist parties into power in Europe?

Will the Austrian presidential election, will be the first test? Here are the candidates. Norbert Hofer a gun thudding refugee blocking candidate of the far-right Freedom Party. He says "Immigration needs to be stopped to preserve Austria's ethnic culture." He's rival is Alexander Van der Bellen, a crusading ecologist for the Green Party. Now Hofer narrowly lost to Van der Bellen this summer by little more than 30,000 votes, but the results were unknown (ph) over concerns about how ballots were handled.

So the two are set for another showdown on December 4th, both candidates believe the Trump effect will work in their favor. Hofer thinks Trumps victory will invigorate the silent majority to vote for him. Van der Bellen says the chaotic first days of the president- elect shows Austrian voters exactly what they don't want. Other thought that Trump would have no effect on the vote.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (Through Translation): No, I don't think so. Not so big.

SHUBERT: Now that may amplify the chances of other far-right candidates facing their own elections next year, Marine Le Pen in France, and Geert Wilders in the Netherlands. All are looking to crackdown on immigration particularly from Muslim countries.

All while Italy holds a historic constitutional referendum next week. Parties across Italy's political spectrum have pulled out all the stops in the lead up to the referendum, which on the surface you might not seem to merit all this down in theory.

Italy's ambitious 41-year-old Prime Minister Matteo Renzi is trying to convince a perennially skeptical people who modify Italy's constitution, slim down and saying it bloated Senate. The chance for real change, Renzi told this crowd in Rome is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Now Renzi promises a streamlined constitution will be a tonic for Italy's anemic economy, high unemployment and mind boggling bureaucracy. But if the latest polls are right and no wins, trouble might follow. After Brexit and Trump could Italy be about to shake the established order.

Matteo Salvini head of the anti-migrant League Northern driving around northern Italy in a camp where spreading the gospel of no. He takes inspiration from the U.S. president-elect. That is why the world is watching very closely how Europeans will vote.

Atika Shubert, CNN, Vienna.

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ALLEN: Dominic Thomas is the Chair of the Department of French & Francophone Studies at UCLA. He joins us now from Los Angeles via Skype. Professor Thomas thanks for talking with us.

DOMINIC THOMAS, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES: It's a pleasure.

ALLEN: With the referendum on Sunday, Italy's prime minister could be crushed. What are Italians voting on specifically?

THOMAS: It's an interesting situation. You got this new prime minister. He's only been in office for two years, 41 years old, young, dynamic, really trying to sort of get things going in Italy. He has asked the Italian people to weigh in on a referendum on Sunday in which one of the major measures imposed is to reduce in the two Houses a very complicated and elect -- system with 945 elected officials and the idea is to take from the upper House the 300 and reduce them to 100. And then to let the lower House where the 630 deputies sit make decisions on legislation.

The risk he is taken however is essentially attach the future of his prime ministership to the outcome of the referendum. He very much wants the people to weigh in on this and this has given an opportunity to bet (inaudible) he runs the five-star movement, instead leftist, neuroskeptic national identity kind of driven party and also the northern league, this anti -migrant party, an opportunity to try and throw him out of power and force an election which paradoxically with electoral reforms that have already been put in place would give them a real advantage.

ALLEN: Yes, it sounds like Britain and the Brexit vote, taking it to the people.

[00:19:59] THOMAS: It's really a remarkable what has happened in Europe in the last five or six months. Then the Brexit vote essentially, you know, it's going to remove the United Kingdom from the European union and this wave sort of populist Euro skeptic or anti-Europe or sort of defense of national identify and protection is mode. We certainly saw in the America with the Trump election and we're seeing it throughout Europe with the Austrian vote coming up also this weekend and the French vote and that is going to be taking place next spring.

ALLEN: Right, I want to talk about Austria. If he wins Freedom Party candidate Norbert Hofer will be the first far-right president in Western Europe since the end of World War II. That sounds quite significant.

THOMAS: It does sound significant and a lot of people are talking about that particular moment in history and what governments tried to achieve in the aftermath of the Second World War, the kind of views of a more integrated Europe that they tried to put together.

What we have here yet again the leader of the Green Party Alexander Van der Bellen going up against Norbert Hofer who represents his freedom party for Austria that is extreme right-wing party, anti- immigrant, anti-immigration party and certainly, although he's been quick careful about it Euro skeptic at best.

Now, this is for the president, not the chancellor. It is essentially an honorific office. That the chancellor does -- president does an opportunity to elect the chancellor and cabinet members. And if Hofer wins the Austrian will be force to go polls to determine who will lead this country going forward in 2017.

ALLEN: Well, this is paint of broad brush here as you see things developing Europe and you see the United States going with Donald Trump. What do you say about these movements that the people what their saying?

THOMAS: Right. Well, the election of Donald Trump, as with the Brexit vote, as with Italian vote and so on, is that the polls we know now are completely unpredictable. We saw the French president step down the other day. It's the first time since 1958 that a sitting president has not run for re-election with the exception of course Pompidou who died on office or Francois Mitterrand that already had two terms. Has left is in complete disarray, the right managed in one week to essentially get rid of Nicolas Sarkozy, the former president and Andre Tardieu (ph) former prime minister

And to nominate in the French primary a very right-wing candidate whose platform actually looks very much like the far-right Marine Le Pen's in terms of question of national identity and so on too. What the Trump election also did is I think get legitimacy to so many of these far-right political parties in Europe that have struggled to be elected, they share points of commonality in terms of their anti- establishment position and designed to sort of make France great again, make Austria great again and to essentially, these populist parties are anti-establishment and anti-elite. And they're gathering an awful lot of support.

ALLEN: We appreciate you joining us, and you expertise Dominic Thomas with UCLA. Thank you.

THOMAS: It's a pleasure, thank you.

ALLEN: The world of Formula One racing is in a spin. Nico Rosberg become world champ just days ago and now he's waved the checkered flag on his own career. That's next.

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[00:25:28] ALLEN: A new political party with a bizarre name could soon be running things in Iceland. The leader of the Pirate Party will likely become the next prime minister. The country's president has asked her to form a new government. The Pirate Party was formed four years ago on a platform of direct democracy, transparency and civil rights. Don't tell my pirates.

A surprise announcement from reigning Formula One champ Nico Rosberg says he's retiring. The news comes just five days after he won the world title at Abu Dhabi. In a Facebook statement Rosberg says winning the title was his dream. He says, "I have climbed my mountain. I am on the peak. So this feels right. My strongest emotion right now is deep gratitude to everybody who supported me to make that dream happen." He is going to stop at the top.

That's "CNN Newsroom." I'm Natalie Allen. We'll be right back with our top stories.

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