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China Intimidated by a U.S. Bipartisan Bill; Boris Johnson Still Leads in Polls; Huawei's Founder Much Closer to His Daughter Now; President Trump's Usual Deny Tactic. Aired 3-3:30a ET

Aired November 28, 2019 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: A show of support. U.S. President Donald Trump signs a bill that gives encouragement to protesters in Hong Kong.

Cutting back, meanwhile the U.S. plans to reduce its contributions to NATO's budget.

And comfortable cruise to victory. What new polling suggest about the upcoming U.K. election.

I'm Max Foster in London. This is CNN Newsroom.

With a strike of a pen the U.S. president has infuriated China by officially endorsing Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement. The U.S. ambassador to China was summoned to the foreign ministry so that Beijing could make its displeasure known.

U.S. and China relations were already tense with a bitter trade war at the top of Beijing's grievances. By signing the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act President Trump may have put sensitive trade talks in jeopardy but one pro-democracy activists say Mr. Trump did the right thing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSHUA WONG, PRO-DEMOCRACY ACTIVIST: The new bipartisan consensus from both the U.S. administration and the Congress is to (Inaudible) at Hong Kong to prioritize human rights and democracy and not being override by this trade negotiation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: CNN Steven Jiang joins us now from Beijing. And the authorities there saying that the U.S. is disregarding the facts in this ruling.

STEVEN JIANG, CNN PRODUCER: That's right, Max. And their reaction really came very quickly and very strongly. Within hours at least four different Chinese government agencies have issued very harshly worded statements voicing their strong opposition and protests over this signing of the bill into law. Now were probably -- they probably saw this coming though, given that

both Houses of the U.S. Congress passed this would veto proof majority so they probably knew President Trump's hands were tied.

Now according to officials here this latest development has only reinforced notion in the minds of many people here that the U.S. is the biggest block hand behind the chaos in Hong Kong and its ultimate aim is to destroy Hong Kong's prosperity and stability, as well as to contain the rights of China.

In one statement the Chinese foreign ministry said, and I quote here, "this act will only further expose the malicious and hegemonic nature of U.S. intentions to the Chinese people including are Hong Kong compatriots and the Chinese people will only stand in greater solidarity and the U.S. attempts are about to fail."

So, very harsh words but not surprising. And the Chinese government here has also warned that they will take counter measures without specifying what they might be, but they definitely warned the U.S. that they will have to Washington what they have to bear all the consequences. Max.

FOSTER: How might it play into the trade war do you think?

JIANG: That's an interesting question. Given that both leaders, President Xi and Mr. -- and President Trump do want to see a so-called phase one deal happen soon. Now this latest development will only complicate things for sure but I think there is enough political will to see progress on the trade talks.

Remember, as recently as Tuesday, top trade negotiators from both sides actually talked on the phone and they reached the consensus according to the Chinese government in terms of how to resolve their disputes and they agreed to maintain communications, now resolving remaining issues.

So, I think, you know, given the pressure President Xi is under with the slowing economy here, and given the political system here being a one-party dictatorship, if anyone he probably has the power and capacity to deal with domestic backlash as the Hong Kong issue, as well as dealing with internal criticism or opposition within his own ruling party to really see a face one deal happen. Max.

FOSTER: Again, Steven in Beijing, thank you very much indeed.

Asia's financial markets have been digesting the new U.S. law on Hong Kong. As you can see stock exchanges in Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Seoul all trading down but not drastically.

We'll take you to Shenzhen, China just a little later. Home to telecom giant Huawei. We're going to have an exclusive interview with its founder and chief and we are seeing whether he thinks his daughter is now a bargaining chip in that U.S.-China trade war.

To the U.K. now where a new opinion poll is good news for Boris Johnson. Research group YouGov says the prime minister's conservative party is on close (Ph) to win a majority of 68 seats, a total of 359, while Labour would end up with just 211.

Two years ago, YouGov accurately predicted the votes one of the few.

[03:05:01]

Meanwhile, critics of Mr. Johnson's main rival opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn say he may be trying to -- he's hand it to deflection a day after his Labour Party was again accused of anti-Semitism.

Corbyn is showing off a dossier on U.K.- U.S. trade talks. He says it's a government document that proves the National Health Service will be on the table during any trade negotiations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEREMY CORBYN, LEADER, LABOUR PARTY: His government released this. We have since obtained this.

Perhaps he would like to explain why these documents confirmed the U.S. is demanding the NHS is on the table in the trade talks. These unsent documents the Boris Johnson's denial in absolute tatters.

BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: The NHS is in no way on the table, in no aspect whatever. And this NHS (Ph) continually brought up by the Labour Party as a diversion tactic from the difficulties they are encountering, in particularly over the problem about leadership on anti-Semitism and then the great vacuity about their policy on Brexit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: John Rentoul is the chief political commentator for the British broadsheet The Independent, and a visiting professor at King's College London as well. He joins me now. Thanks so much for joining us, John. Which of those messages --

JOHN RENTOUL, CHIEF POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, THE INDEPENDENT: Hi, there.

FOSTER: -- do you think is breaking through then?

RENTOUL: Well, Jeremy Corbyn has no choice but to try and turn the subject of the election on to -- on to what used to be one of Labour's strong points, which is the National Health Service. The problem is that actually he is so unpopular that although, you know, Labour is generally preferred as the preferred party on the NHS.

The gap isn't that great. And this allegation that Boris Johnson wants to sell the NHS to Donald Trump, I mean, to simplify it is not really cutting through. I don't think -- I don't think the voters really believe it.

FOSTER: These polls are interesting, aren't they? We got to be careful because the poll has been wrong so often --

(CROSSTALK)

RENTOUL: Indeed.

FOSTER: -- in U.S. elections but the YouGov one is interesting because the margin is so big. And we look at the conservative majority of 68. That's dramatic, isn't it?

RENTOUL: Yes, and that's -- that really has cost down a lot of Labour Party supporters here. I mean, the YouGov poll of this kind, it's a seat by seat projection. It's acquired semi-musical status because it was so accurate two and a half years ago but there is nothing -- there is nothing really magical about it.

It's just a large sample seat by seat projection and there have been others of those last time that weren't successful but that doesn't stop people focusing obsessively on this poll because it was right last time. And that really has discouraged a lot of Labour supporters.

But there are two weeks to go. You know, the poll could be wrong and things can happen. I mean in the last election things were happening all the time during the election campaign and Labour close that gap.

The problem that Jeremy Corbyn has is that he's a known quantity this time and there's no sign really of the kind of movement that he got last time.

FOSTER: OK. Stay with us, John, because Donald Trump can claim victory in the battle to reduce U.S. funding to NATO.

Meanwhile, President Trump has long complained that European allies aren't paying their fair share. The upcoming annual summit a deal is expected to cut U.S. contributions towards funding NATO headquarters. That budget is separate from defense spending. It comes in at $2.5. billion currently the U.S. contributes, the most are 22 percent and that's expected to be cut to 16.

The upcoming meeting, John, of course, is in London. But this, it's borne to separate these two different ways of funding NATO because this is largely --

RENTOUL: Yes.

FOSTER: -- academic, isn't it, the $2 billion?

RENTOUL: Well, I mean, this is still a significant chunk of money and it does send a signal about Donald Trump's attitude towards NATO. But you're right, you mustn't confuse the amount that individual countries spent on defense as their contribution to their collective NATO effort and the funding of NATO headquarters.

But it will cast a shadow over the president's visit here which is going to complicate things in the run up to our election because he is not a popular figure over here and that is why Jeremy Corbyn keeps banging on about the threat as he sees it of trade deal with the U.S. after we've left the European Union.

[03:09:55] So, I think that will be a very controversial visit and either we -- either the establishment in this country has always been very suspicious of Donald Trump because he's been so hostile to NATO before was elected president and even as president.

FOSTER: Do you think Boris Johnson is going to stay out of President Trump's vision on this visit because as you say he's not a popular figure, but if President Trump is going to endorse anyone you assume it's going to be Boris Johnson again?

RENTOUL: Well, I mean, he has endorsed Boris Johnson, he has interfered in our politics. I mean, this -- the old rule that leaders of countries don't comment on each other's election seems to have gone by the -- gone by the wayside.

I mean, Barack Obama did it in our referendum. Donald Trump has said how magnificent he thinks Boris Johnson is as a British leader. And, you know, Boris Johnson as prime minister will have to shake the president's hand no doubt, and those pictures will be all over our media, and the people who don't like Donald Trump in this country will think less of Boris Johnson but I suspect they already do.

FOSTER: OK. John, as ever, thank you very much for joining us here in London.

RENTOUL: My pleasure.

FOSTER: President Trump is making contradictory statements meanwhile when it comes to Rudy Giuliani, and the role he played in the Ukraine scandal.

Just ahead, (Inaudible) Mr. Trump's rhetoric is familiar territory.

Plus, is just the face of the U.S.-China trade war? She's a major Huawei executive and her father runs the telecoms giant. We'll have an exclusive interview with him about his daughter's detention.

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FOSTER: President Trump now appears to be distancing himself from his attorney by denying he directed Rudy Giuliani to seek out investigations in Ukraine on his behalf. But that contradicts previous statements by Mr. Trump and other members of the administration.

Ms. Kaitlan Collins reports.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: What the president used to say about Michael Cohen is now saying about Rudy Giuliani, his personal attorney praising him in a new interview but saying he did not direct Rudy Giuliani to go to Ukraine and seek out these investigations on his behalf. Not only contradicting what the president has said in the past but also what his own aides have said.

You all remember in that July transcript of the call that the president ordered the White House to release, he urges the Ukrainian leader not once, or twice, but three times to speak with Giuliani talking about these investigations, talking about that debunk theory about Ukraine potentially interfering in the election in 2016 instead of Russia.

The president is now telling Bill O'Reilly in a new interview that no, he wasn't the one who told Giuliani to do his dealings in Ukraine.

(BEGIN VOICE CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Well you have to ask that to Rudy but Rudy, I don't even know -- I know he was going to go to Ukraine and I think he canceled the trip. But, you know, Rudy has other clients other than me. No, I didn't direct him.

[03:14:56]

But he is a warrior. Rudy is a warrior. Rudy went, he possibly saw something. But you have to understand, Rudy, has other people that he represents.

BILL O'REILLY, FORMER HOST, CBS NEWS: No, I know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Of course that goes against what the president said in that July phone call with the Ukrainian leader but also against what Gordon Sondland, the ambassador to the European Union testified when he said the president instructed aides to work with Giuliani when it came to Ukraine even though they didn't want to include him.

And it also goes against what Mick Mulvaney said in that press briefing that now infamous press briefing where he said that the president did have Rudy Giuliani working on Ukraine and that was what he wanted to do.

This has a lot of parallels what the president said about Michael Cohen and those hush money payments to Stormy Daniels when first he pleaded ignorance, he said he didn't know not only where that money came from but why Michael Cohen made those payments.

Of course, now Michael Cohen is serving three years in prison and we did later learn about the president's involvement in all of that.

FOSTER: Kaitlan Collins there.

Now she is being called the face of the U.S.-China trade war. It comes under the daughter of the founder of Huawei will it been under house arrest in Canada for exactly a year. The CFO of China's biggest telecoms provider were detained at the request of United States accused of violating sanctions against Iran.

CNN's Kristie Lu Stout travel to Shenzhen, China with exclusive interview with the founder of Huawei at the company's headquarters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: She has been called a pawn and a bargaining chip, even the face of the U.S.-China trade war, and the U.S. has accused her of fraud, but to the founder and CEO of Huawei Meng Wanzhou is the daughter he praises for her year of suffering.

REN ZHENGFEI, FOUNDER AND CEO, HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES (through translator): As a father, I of course care about my children. However, the experience of hardship and suffering is good for Meng and her growth.

Under the grand backdrop of this China-U.S. trade war she's like a small ant being caught between the collision of two giant powers.

STOUT: On December 1st, 2018, Meng, the CFO of Huawei, was arrested in Canada at the request of the U.S. She and the Chinese tech giant face a number of charges including bank fraud, trade secret stuff and sanctions violations.

Meng and Huawei both deny the charges. She is fighting extradition.

At Huawei headquarters in Shenzhen, I spoke with Meng's father about her life under house arrest, a life Meng spends in one of two homes she owned in Vancouver.

Ren Zhengfei says she enjoys painting and studying. Meng's mother and husband routinely fly to Canada to care for her.

When was the last time you spoke with Meng Wanzhou, your daughter?

ZHENGFEI (through translator): Perhaps three or four days ago. There's no routine. Oftentimes I'd send her some funny stories I found online or I ring her up and ask how she's doing.

STOUT: Have you become closer as father and daughter?

ZHENGFEI (through translator): Yes, indeed. In the past Meng Wanzhou might not give me a single call in a whole year, she wouldn't ask how I was or even send me a text message. Of course, simply knowing that my child is out there working really hard already makes me happy. Now our relationship has become much closer.

STOUT: Days after Meng's arrest in Vancouver, diplomatic relations between China and Canada's soured. China detained two Canadian citizens, former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig, and businessmen Michael Spavor. China has charged them with espionage and denies their arrest are related to Meng's case.

There has been no response from Kovrig or Spavor who according to Canadian state media had been denied access to lawyers and their family since their arrest.

As a father, you've been able to speak with your daughter, and in fact, your relationship has gotten closer as you say even though she's under house arrest. Do you think the fathers of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig they deserve that as well?

ZHENGFEI (through translator): I don't think I have any information about these two people, I also don't have information about the law enforcement in this case. That's why I cannot give any comments on this issue.

STOUT: On January the 20th, Meng Wanzhou will be in court to fight her extradition to the U.S. on fraud charges. As for her future at Huawei, one thing is certain, she won't get promoted.

ZHENGFEI (through translator): Hardships like this one will have a major impact on the person's grit and character. However, when she returns to Huawei, it doesn't mean that she will be given greater responsibilities. She's a financial officer, she can only have the financial matters. She won't be handling other aspects of the business.

STOUT: One year of detention may have made his daughter stronger but not stronger enough to one day take the reins from the father.

Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Shenzhen.

FOSTER: Now first, just look like a teenager giving online device on TikTok about make up, but then she had a much more serious message.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FEROZA AZIZ, YOUTH ACTIVIST: Hi, guys. I'm going to teach you guys how to get long lashes. So, the first thing you need to do is grab your lash curler, curl your lashes, obviously. Then you're going to put them down and use your phone that you're using right now to search up out what's happening in China, how they're getting concentration camps, throwing innocent Muslims in there.

[03:20:03]

Please be aware. Please spread awareness. And yes, so you can grab your eyelash curler again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Feroza Aziz is a 17-year-old Afghan-American. Her clip criticizes the Chinese government for its detention centers which hold mostly Muslims. And she received more than one and a half million views.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AZIZ: I knew that as a Muslim and as an Afghan who saw my own people back in my country to suffer and for the other Muslims around the world to be oppressed by their religion, to see it happen in China but at such a great magnitude, I know I had to say something. To spread awareness about this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: TikTok is owned by Beijing-based company. Aziz couldn't access her account for a time earlier this week and suspected censorship. TikTok denied banning Aziz and says it does not monitor content of the politics. All right. Some breaking news into CNN. North Korea has launched an

identified projectile according to South Korean military. This is the 13th launch this year. We're getting more details for you.

At least eight protesters in Iraq were killed when security forces opened fire in the southern city of Nasiriya. Demonstrations erupted in Baghdad in several Shiite provinces over unemployment, corruption, and lack of basic services.

Further north protesters stormed the Iranian consulate in Najaf and set it on fire. Iran condemns the attack and has called on the Iraqi government to firmly respond. Iraqi security forces have gone down hundreds of demonstrators since the protest began last month.

Rescue teams in Albania are still searching for survivors of Tuesday's powerful earthquake. Workers were able to free a boy trapped in the rubble in one town. They used their hands to dig him out of a collapsed building near the quake's epicenter.

The death toll rose to 30 on Wednesday. The defense minister said 650 people have been injured and 20 are missing. Rain is forecast for Thursday which could hamper search and rescue efforts.

Thousands of people in Port Neches, Texas have been ordered to leave their homes after massive explosions of a chemical plant rocked the city and nearby communities on Wednesday. About 24 hours after the blast the fire is still burning.

Officials say there is no threats to human lives but exposure to the burning chemicals can cause irritation. Firefighters are battling the flames with remote controlled water cannon, and the curfew is in place. At least three plant employees have been injured.

The Santa Barbara, California looks like anything but a happy Thanksgiving for those having to deal with what's known as the Cave Fire. The flames have scored more than 36 square kilometers and are 20 percent contained but there's at least a little good news.

Rain is expected to move through Santa Barbara and there's even the possibility of some snow of the higher elevations.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin is going for a new dimension. His 2020 calendar photo is transforming from a shirtless macho man to a more dignified statesman. Details and images ahead.

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FOSTER: In the U.S., a record number of people are taking to the skies and roast this Thanksgiving weekend, but their plans could be disrupted by bad weather. The west is being pounded with snow and that storm system is heading east.

[03:25:00]

Meanwhile, 32 states in the U.S. are under some sort of weather advisory. Their traveling is a Thanksgiving headache for many Americans. A much more pleasant holiday ritual is gathering with family in front of the TV to watch the annual Macy's parade in New York.

But as CNN's Brynn Gingras tell us windy weather could be a downer for some of the parades most beloved pictures.

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A million people from all over the world come out to see the inflation of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade balloon. Now it's starting to rain here so there's a little bit of dispersing of the crowd but what an incredible scene here.

And you can see most of these balloons are already blown up. We got the cat and a hat right here, we got Picacho further down. Now the big question everybody usually ask is, are these balloons going to fly?

There's two numbers you have to keep in mind. Twenty-three miles per hour sustained winds or 34-mile-per-hour wind gust. Those are with the NYPD and the New York Police Department truck during the entire parade to make sure these balloons are flying at a safe level.

So, they have the ability actually to raise the balloons higher up or bring them lower down to make sure that they are actually walking the parade route at a safe level. And they even have NYPD representatives walking with the Macy's day balloon handlers along the entire parade route keeping track on machines in their hands of the wind gust.

Making determinations really minute by minute. So, the big question really won't be answered until Thanksgiving Day. But certainly, that is the big question that people are still even asking as they're watching the inflation still occur.

So awesome, awesome experience even though it's raining here in New York City but still this is a family tradition that we've learned from many people around the country come to see every year.

I'm Brynn Gingras in New York for CNN.

FOSTER: Not long now to the parade. Now if you're looking for the perfect gift this holiday season a Vladimir Putin 2020 calendar is out for you, and in the carefully selected photos you'll see the Russian president sitting with world leaders, walking very strategically in front of U.S. President Donald Trump there.

It's quite a transformation from his past calendars which showed him shirtless hiking, fishing, and on horseback. The calendars have always been a way to showcase the Kremlin leaders carefully manage image. Get your orders in now.

Thanks for joining us. I'm Max Foster. Winning Post is next. But first, I'll be back with the check of the headlines for you. This is CNN.

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