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Beijing's Sweeping New Laws Threaten Free Speech In Hong Kong; WHO Issues Dire Statement That The Pandemic Is Speeding Up; Pelosi Calls For Disclosure On Reports Of Russian Pay-Offs To The Taliban; China Passes National Security Law for Hong Kong; Poll Shows Europeans Souring on U.S. Alliance; More Major Companies Join Facebook Ad Boycott; India Bans mostly Chinese Apps including Tiktok; Country Singer Chase Rice under Fire for Packed Concert. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired June 30, 2020 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[01:00:00]
KRISTALINA GEORGIEVA, MANAGING DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND: Right thing is, well, make sure that we invest in the economy of the future that is greener, low carbon, resilient to climate shocks.
That we invest in digital access for everybody. One of my worries is that the big winner of the crises, the digital economy, may be good for some but not for all.
And by doing that lack of access for everybody, we expand inequalities in our society.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR: One country, two systems, all in jeopardy. Beijing passes a new law cracking down on dissent in Hong Kong.
Six months ago today, we learned that some people in China were getting sick. Since then COVID-19 has changed the world. And the WHO says we have a long way to go.
Plus I know you're thinking, what pandemic? No masks, no social distancing but the show went on. A country music singer playing during a pandemic.
Hello, and welcome to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Paula Newton.
We are following breaking news out of Beijing where China's Parliament has reportedly a controversial national security law for Hong Kong.
Now here's the key thing. Full details of the legislation still haven't been released but state media has said that it would criminalize acts of secession, subversion and terrorism.
To many people it means free speech. The law has sparked fear and protests in recent weeks as critics argue it will erode the city's civil and political freedoms.
So far, Hong Kong's chief executive has absolutely refused to even comment on it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARRIE LAM, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF HONG KONG: There has been much speculate in the past few days on the provisions and the personnel arrangements. So, therefore, at this point or at this moment, it is inappropriate for me to respond to any questions or give any explanations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now we are also getting some reaction from activist, Joshua Wong.
In a tweet, he said he would quit the pro-democracy party he co- founded but he also urged the international community to continue speaking up for Hong Kong.
CNN's Will Ripley joins us now from Hong Kong and Steven Jiang is in Beijing.
Will, I will start with you. And just to add to that tweet from Joshua Wong. He describes it as the end of Hong Kong, the beginning of a reign of terror. This has been chilling.
WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It certainly is telling, isn't it? That Joshua Wong who has been the face of the pro-democracy movement ever since 2014 and the Umbrella Revolution -- he was just a teenager -- is now so terrified of the potential consequences for speaking out publicly that he's resigning from the organization that he founded.
It's also telling that Hong Kong's own leader, the Chief Executive Carrie Lam, when asked about reports in Chinese state media that this national security law for Hong Kong had passed unanimously was unable to provide a single detail because she doesn't know, she was kept out of the loop.
This law was drafted in secret by China's ruling body without any input from the Hong Kong government. Hong Kong's government was bypassed.
And this is a response, a response that, frankly, we've been waiting for from Beijing after months of unrest.
If you think about one year ago tomorrow, July 1st is the anniversary of the handover in 1997 from British rule to Chinese rule for Hong Kong. It is a public holiday here, it is a day that for some people marked a new beginning and for others, the beginning of the end.
But last year, on the 1st, hundreds of protesters stormed the legislative council building and they spray painted things on the walls like "Hong Kong is not China," "Destroy the Chinese Communist Party."
The penalties that they could've faced then versus what they would face now for doing the exact same thing, while we don't know the details, are undoubtedly exponentially more severe.
They could be charged with secession, subversion, terrorism -- also foreign interference made illegal under this national security law.
And, Paula, we believe that if this is anything like the way that they enforce these terms in the mainland, it could effectively silence any voices of opposition here in Hong Kong.
NEWTON: Yes. And again, silence because the punishment is literally life imprisonment. At least potentially that's what it could be.
[01:05:00]
Steven Jiang joins us now from Beijing.
And, Steven, I have to ask you obviously the Chinese Communist Party feels like it is a good time to do this, like there will not be repercussions from the international community that they can't withstand.
STEVEN JIANG, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER: Well, they certainly feel this was long overdue because, as Will mentioned, 23 years ago, Hong Kong's sovereignty returned to China.
And since then, the Hong Kong government hasn't been able (ph) to pass a national security law, the last time they tried was in 2003, triggering huge protests on the streets forcing the government in Hong Kong to shelve this bill. And really had never reintroduced it.
And since then, of course, we have seen many protests and demonstrations on the streets of Hong Kong against Beijing, including this latest protest movement that began last year.
And so, from Beijing's perspective, they really are seeing a growing movement, activism, not only about pro-democracy causes but also a pro-Hong Kong independence movement.
And all of this, of course, had been framed as being instigated by Western powers and hostile foreign powers, especially from Washington. That's why they think this law is not only highly necessary but also increasingly urgent.
And the interesting fact, of course, as Will mentioned, was this law was being discussed and voted on behind closed doors by these 161 members of the Parliament's Standing Committee, with Hong Kong's senior officials knowing very little about the details.
So this kind of lack of transparency really does not inspire confidence in the territory -- Paula.
NEWTON: Yes. And, Steven, the issue is here, though, what will or can the international community do about it?
Despite Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the E.U., all together with their foreign policy statements have been quite strong. But only in language. JIANG: That's right. But also -- it's also interesting because publicly officials here have brushed aside any such criticisms and concerns.
But, of course, as I talk to you right now, our coverage of this story has been entirely blacked (ph)) by Chinese censors. So they still feel very sensitive about international reaction to this story.
Now in terms of the kind of criticism we have been hearing, especially from Washington, it's been myriad.
Not only the U.S. State Department has imposed visa restrictions on Chinese officials that they say are responsible for the erosion of autonomy in Hong Kong, the U.S. authorities are also announcing that they are ending export of defense equipment and other dual-use technologies.
Not to mention that both houses of the U.S. Congress passing laws aimed at punishing China.
But all this, of course, being really portrayed here as further evidence of the kind of rampant foreign interference --
NEWTON: Right.
JIANG: -- in Hong Kong this law is aimed to stop.
And, of course, there's also the calculation that, with the ongoing pandemic, other governments are too busy dealing with domestic issues to really stand up to China over Hong Kong, Paula.
NEWTON: Yes. And that's the truth. And it perhaps may have looked expedient for Beijing to try this now.
Will, before I let both of you go. I really want to talk to you about what the next shoe is to drop there in Hong Kong where you are.
Joshua Wong made it very clear he wants the international community to pick up where he left off. Do you expect people in the streets, and what are they looking for in terms of what they can do to have their voices heard?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RIPLEY: All I want to show you, Paula, is I'm going to have Dan, our camera man, pan to the right. This is an area where we were told there might be a lunchtime protest popping up.
We've seen a police presence and absolutely nobody has turned out to protest. I think this was very telling.
This time last year this place would've been so packed with people you couldn't even move because these protests were happening sometimes on a daily basis.
It's not the case anymore. Undoubtedly, this law having a chilling effect here in Hong Kong.
And people who support the pro-democracy movement are hoping for some help from the international community. But that hope is certainly fading.
NEWTON: Yes. Well, we will wait to see what happens tomorrow, of course, July 1st. On that anniversary.
Will Ripley there for us in Hong Kong, and our thanks. Steven Jiang who was with us from Beijing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Now, to the United States.
More and more states are taking action as coronavirus cases explode in parts of the country.
Now some businesses that had reopened are closing back up -- again, with no federal plan in the meantime to try and flatten that curve.
At least 16 states are trying now to do it themselves; they're either pausing their reopening plans or rolling them back.
Arizona is closing bars and gyms and banning large gatherings ahead of the July 4th holiday. And New Jersey was supposed to allow indoor dining this week but that now is on hold with cases rising there too.
Hospitals are again on the brink of being overwhelmed. Beds are filling up with places like Los Angeles and Oregon worried about the coming surge.
The map here says it all. Only four states right now are seeing a decline in new infections.
Now one action that experts say will help curb the pandemic is, of course, wearing a mask. But 17 states do not have any order mandating them.
[01:10:00]
Now the city of Jacksonville, Florida is requiring face masks indoors and outdoors.
Jacksonville is hosting the Republican National Convention later this summer. And a top Republican is now endorsing those masks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: We must have no stigma, none, about wearing masks when we leave our homes and come near other people.
Wearing simple face coverings is not about protecting ourselves, it is about protecting everyone we encounter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Well, with more than 10 million cases now worldwide and more than a half a million deaths, the head of the World Health Organization warns the pandemic is, in fact, speeding up, not slowing down. And that the worst may be yet to come.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, DIRECTOR GENERAL, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: (...) this to be over, we all want to get on with our lives. But the hard reality is this is not even close to being over.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now that's a bleak picture, of course, being painted there, and it's really relying on the data that the WHO, real-time data that it sees coming in.
Some of that data includes the United States. Take a look at this.
It now accounts for about a quarter of the world's coronavirus cases and lives lost.
And experts warn right now it will be tough to try and reverse those trends.
CNN's Jason Carroll reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: At least a dozen states pausing or rolling back reopening plans, the country's health secretary warning the window is closing to get the virus under control.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALEX AZAR, SECRETARY, U.S. HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES: This is a real call to action. We have all got to, as Americans, act responsibly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: New Jersey canceling plans to allow indoor dining while Florida now leads in new coronavirus cases.
Starting today, Jacksonville, the state's largest city and site of the Republican Convention, mandating masks indoors and outdoors. Bars in the state now closed for the second time, and some beaches closed ahead of the 4th of July holiday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR CARLOS GIMENEZ, MIAMI-DADE COUNTY: We're seeing a rise in the infection rate of young people. They will then in turn eventually bring it in to their parents and their grandparents.
And then we're really going to have a problem. (END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: In Texas, health experts seeing a sharp increase in infections among young people there as well.
The governor says over the past two weeks, the daily number of new cases have spiked from an average of 2,000 to roughly 5,000; some people now lining up and waiting hours for a COVID test.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLAY JENKINS, JUDGE, DALLAS COUNTY, TEXAS: Hospitalizations here in Dallas have doubled for COVID just this month, and also in our region. We're at the tipping point down in Harris County, where Houston is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: One bar in East Lansing, Michigan, shows just how infectious the virus can be. The health department is asking patrons who visited Harper's Restaurant & Brew Publish earlier this month to self- quarantine after roughly 85 people contracted COVID-19.
Bars ordered closed in seven counties now in California. It was one of the first states to issue a stay-at-home order and now sounding the alarm after seeing the surge in cases there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT.GOV. ELENI KOUNALAKIS (D-CALIF): We're not out of the woods. We have to continue to take every single possible precaution.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: New data obtained by CNN shows some of the hardest hit states including Texas, Florida, and Arizona do not have the amount of contact tracers they need to stop the spread of the virus.
Contact tracers follow and monitor contacts of an infected person to see whether they become ill.
And this bit of developing news. After continuing with reopening efforts in the State of Arizona, even in the face of a surging number of cases there, the governor has come out and has said that that state is moving in the wrong direction.
The governor has now ordered all bars, restaurants, gyms and water parks closed for the next 30 days.
The governor also coming out and encouraging people to wear masks.
Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: So one leading cardiologist tells CNN that figuring out the spread of the virus across parts of the United States is not, in his words, "rocket science." And it shouldn? be that hard to solve.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. JONATHAN REINER, CARDIOLOGIST, PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY: It's not a mystery why the virus is spreading so rapidly in the south and southwest. They had inadequate testing -- Texas is 42nd in the country in testing, they opened too soon and they had a policy where they really didn't push the public wearing of masks.
That's not rocket science. We can turn that around. It just takes the will and the leadership to do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. PETER HOTEZ, VACCINE SCIENTIST: So the states, in some cases, even the counties, are on their own across the southwestern United States. And how do you handle that very aggressive rise?
So far, most of the governors have not been willing to do that full lockdown that was so successful in New York and in the northeast back in March and April.
[01:15:00]
So they're trying to see if they can do this surgically, meaning just close the bars or 50 percent restaurants. Sort of these -- encourage use of masks or, in some cases, mandate masks but stop short of that full lockdown.
And my point is, what's the evidence that that will work?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now Florida is, of course, one of the big hot spots in the United States at this moment. The agriculture commissioner is calling for a stronger, coordinated response.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIKKI FRIED, COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE & CONSUMER SERVICES, FLORIDA: Florida hit 32,000 new cases since Friday. And so you're seeing a lot of our local governments step up and mandate the mask wearing -- and for a while even the Mayor from Jacksonville said that wasn't going to happen.
So we did actually put that into place today. Who knows if it's going to actually stay in place for the RNC? I mean, he could actually override it beforehand?
And so that's why I also call for a statewide ordinance. So that way a local government can't override it as the RNC comes to Jacksonville. But, certainly, with these upticks in cases ? and not just upticks in cases but the skyrocketing of our positivity rates, I'm not surprised that we here in the State of Florida are where we are today.
And are looking for Ron DeSantis to be more engaged. To take his head out of the sand and to realize that we have a healthcare crisis that needs leadership at this time and that we just haven't been seeing from him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: OK. Meantime, of course, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, looked at the increase in cases just in the past month. And it's a stark picture.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: So when I look at the maps now of what the country looked like Memorial Day versus now -- and I think about the country as a human body.
Before I thought maybe there some localized disease we could go after, and now I'm worried about the whole country, (Chris). Even new York, where you are. Because I don't think there's any place that's immune.
When you have this much disease in the country, this much infection that's spreading, sadly -- and I take no joy in saying this stuff -- I think everyone is vulnerable once again.
And we all have to actually think of the aggressive treatment that is necessary now to get us through this.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Now the governor of Texas, meantime, warns COVID-19 has in his state taken a very dangerous turn with the Houston area emerging as an epicenter.
Now the Houston mayor says the positivity rate in cases is up 10 percent since April and May.
Miguel Marquez goes inside a hospital there and shows us what staff are now up against.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ready, everybody?
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN U.S. CORRESPONDENT: Houston, Texas, now home to a major coronavirus outbreak.
A procedure all too common when treating the most seriously ill with the virus. This patient on a ventilator, the breathing tube being replaced to improve oxygen flow to the lungs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. One, two, three. OK. MARQUEZ: The tube pulled out caked with dried secretions from the
lungs, rife with the coronavirus. The new tube immediately improves oxygen flow.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. JOSEPH VARON, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, UNITED MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER: Whew. That's the first one for today.
MARQUEZ: So that was --
VARON: We had to change the tube and he's somebody that has no oxygen. He could have died, his tube was malfunctioning. It has a little balloon at the end that was ruptured. So he was not getting enough oxygen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: United Memorial Medical Center. A 117-bed hospital serving a mostly working-class community in North Houston.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VARON: In the last three weeks, I have seen more admissions and sicker patients than on the previous 10 weeks. So it's been an exponential increase on the severity of illness, and the number of cases that were admitted.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: It's COVID unit expanding way beyond its intensive care unit by turning whole sections of the hospital into temporary airtight chambers, creating negative pressure zones to keep the airborne virus moving up and out.
Protective gear now so abundant that everyone triples up, some employees getting through eight sets or more of PPE in a single shift.
In the 100 days they've been treating patients with coronavirus, only one nurse has developed the sickness. She's now being treated by her own colleagues.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: You are the frontline worker in the battle against COVID, and you now have it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. And it's -- I wouldn't wish this on my own enemy.
MARQUEZ: The isolation of the disease difficult to deal with, even for someone who knows what to expect. Her thoughts now with her nine and ten-year old daughters.
What would you say to Madeleine and Abigail right now?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Baby, mommy loves you and misses you. I hope you're having a great time in California. Okay, I'm done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[01:20:00]
MARQUEZ: Dr. Varon, who has now worked for more than 100 days without stop, has become a sort of coronavirus specialist.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VARON: If you assume -- there are two types of patients; those that have COVID and those who will get COVID.
My concern, as a healthcare provider is that when they get sick they don't all come to me at the same time, which is what's happening at the present time.
And that's what's going to kill patients. Because we won't have enough resources.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: This is something that really worries health care workers, that surge of patients seeking care. The coronavirus can make people sick, it can kill people.
But if you have enough people pushing in and trying to get care all at the same time, that could overwhelm systems in Texas and in other states. And that could lead to many more deaths.
Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: And that was Miguel Marquez reporting there for us.
Now the demand for answers from the White House is growing.
If President Trump wasn't briefed on a Russian plot to have U.S. troops killed, government officials want to know why.
Plus the British city not yet ready to reopen. Why the health secretary is putting Leicester on lockdown.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEWTON: Now President Trump is still denying he was ever briefed on stunning intelligence that claims Russia offered to pay the Taliban to kill U.S. troops.
The two officials say it was included in a daily briefing. The defense department says it has no corroborating evidence to prove the reports but continues to investigate.
Barbara Starr has the details from the Pentagon. BARBARA STARR, PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: The president's daily briefing is a notebook of information, essentially, that he is given every day. It's up to him to decide how much he wants to go into it all, how much he wants to read. He gets briefed on key matters.
And now two officials are telling us this Russian plot, in fact, at some point was included in what you call the PDB, the President's Daily Brief. But that he was not briefed on it.
The question is why? And that's still to be determined.
Apparently, the White House's reasoning is because the intelligence was not fully verified and corroborated.
But here's something else. We have also learned that the national security staff had a meeting about the plot to decide and to begin to discuss some potential response options that they could eventually take to the president.
So if it wasn't verified, if it wasn't corroborated, if it wasn't all that serious, well, the NSC staff was already looking at response options.
We've talked to a number of officials across the government about this. And what they say tonight is it's a little bit still mystifying why the president hasn't asked more about this.
[01:25:00]
This involves the fate, the death, potentially, of U.S. troops on the front lines. It involves their families perhaps wondering if their loved ones were killed at the hands of Russian cash being spread around Afghanistan.
So there's still quite a bit to answer here.
Why wasn't the president told, and why, if he wasn't told, didn't he express more interest in finding out what was going on?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Barbara Starr there laying it out for us from the Pentagon. Meantime, there are bipartisan demands now from U.S. lawmakers for more answers from the White House on what was known and when.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with the director of national of intelligence and the director of the CIA Monday. She's calling for a full house briefing on the intelligence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), SPEAKER, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: It seems clear that the intelligence is real.
The question is whether the president was briefed. If he was not briefed, why would he not be briefed; were they afraid to approach him on the subject of Russia? And where they concerned that, if they did tell him, that he would tell Putin?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Now Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff told CNN's Jim Acosta, President Trump was not briefed. He also wants to know why.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CALIF), CHAIR OF THE HOUSE PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE: Is this, again, a concern with speaking truth to power?
That Donald Trump doesn't want to hear anything negative about Vladimir Putin? Because, after all, the president was inviting Russia back into the G8.
And it's kind of unfathomable that he would do that if he was knowing of the fact that his friend Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin or Russian intelligence services -- if these public reports are account -- were offering a bounty on the heads of American troops.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: So the White House did brief a group of Republicans Monday, a delegation of Democrats, meantime, will be briefed in the coming hours.
Now pubs, restaurants and hair salons will be reopening right across England this weekend but not in the city of Leicester.
A surge in coronavirus cases there has forced the health secretary to order all non-essential businesses closed. Schools will shut down on Thursday as well, and people are being told to just stay home.
The government is opening a new walk-in testing center there and plans to review the restrictions in mid-July.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATT HANCOCK, BRITISH HEALTH SECRETARY: We recommend to people in Leicester, stay at home as much as you can. And we recommend against all but essential travel to, from and within Leicester.
We'll monitor closely adherence to social distancing rules and we'll take further steps, if that's what's necessary.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: The Leicester City Council reports almost 1,000 new cases in just the past two weeks alone.
Meantime, British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, is expected to announce a new initiative to kickstart his country's economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
The new deal-style proposal will invest six billion dollars for jobs, skills and infrastructure projects.
The prime minister is promising to build better greener, and faster with a focus on hospitals, schools, roads and rail networks.
To Mexico now which has now reported about 3,800 cases Monday, bringing its number of infections to more than 220,000.
That's as the capital, Mexico City, begins what it calls a gradual reopening. Now permitted, sports clubs and other outdoor physical activities as well as the use of domestic workers and retail stores.
Brazil meantime also reported another rise in infections. At least 24,000 cases were confirmed Monday alone. Since March, the country's infection rate has been steadily increasing.
You see it there. So far more than 1.3 million people have been infected nationwide in Brazil. The death toll stands at 58,000.
China's latest move on Hong Kong is already sparking fierce reaction from different parts of the world.
Ahead, how Japan and Taiwan have responded to the reported passage of the national security law.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:31:27]
PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM.
I'm Paula Newton.
And we want to get more on the breaking news from Beijing. Local media reports that China's parliament has now passed a controversial national security law for Hong Kong. Full details of the legislation still haven't been released. The state media has said it would criminalize acts of secession, subversion and terrorism. Critics argue it will erode the city's civil and political freedoms.
Japan is already calling the move regrettable. And Taiwan's president says it proves the one country, two systems policy is not credible.
We want to bring in CNN's Anna Coren, live in Hong Kong and who, of course, has been following this for the last few hours. But I dare say Anna, the last few years.
This is really absolutely extraordinary that Beijing would choose to pass this now. What about the reaction from activists in Hong Kong? How are they reacting?
ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. They have chosen to pass it now because on the 1st of July, which falls tomorrow, and we are anticipating a protest. Obviously this was when the British handed China back to -- handed Hong Kong back to China in 1997 and on the first July. That is when people generally come out and protest for greater freedoms. Last year we saw those people storm the Legislative Council building, a huge embarrassment to the Chinese government. And that is something that they wanted to ensure would not happen again this year.
This national security law, we knew it was coming. The people here of Hong Kong feared that it was coming. It's come a lot quicker than many had anticipated.
I spoke a short time ago to Jimmy Lai, a very outspoken pro-democracy activist. He runs the "Apple Daily" which is once again, a mouthpiece for the opposition movement, an online newspaper. And he said that this spells the death knell really for Hong Kong. This is the death of Hong Kong. The end of rule of law as he sees it.
He claims that he will continue fighting, that he is not going to leave Hong Kong but he also believes that they will come after him, the CCP will come after him and come after his media organization.
And you know, Paula -- we don't know the future for schools, for media organizations because China is now tightening its grip. The freedom of expression, the freedom of speech under these new laws -- people are frightened to speak out.
We are expecting much smaller crowds to take to the streets but at the same time, we saw a short time ago that there will be people protesting tomorrow on the 1st of July.
Earlier today, Paula -- we heard from Carrie Lam at her weekly press conference. She refused to be drawn into the law, whether the law had passed. She said it would be inappropriate for her to speak while the National People's Congress standing committee was still meeting. But as you mentioned, we should know the details of this law later this afternoon when Xinhua, the official state news agency publishes those details.
This has all been extremely secretive and extremely fast. But as I say, huge (INAUDIBLE) as to what this is going to mean for activists and pro-democracy lawmakers.
[01:34:51]
NEWTON: Yes and many activists and countries in fact are already making up their mind about what it means.
Anna -- I know you'll continue to follow this in the coming hours. We expect much more reaction. Anna Coren for us in Hong Kong. Appreciate it.
[013502]
NEWTON: Now we are just a few hours away from a final decision by the European Union on new travel restrictions that could keep Americans out of the E.U. So the bloc is set to decide which countries' citizens will and will not be allowed to enter the E.U. on July 1st.
Travelers from the United States, Russia, and Brazil are expected to be banned due to their surging number of coronavirus cases. Each individual E.U. country ultimately makes its own border decisions and that is key.
Banning American travelers from Europe is an extraordinary step, of course, especially considering all the tourist revenue that normally is brought in with those American visits.
But things have taken an extraordinary turn for America on the world stage. A new poll of 11,000 people across nine European countries reveals an increasingly negative view of America. Just 2 percent said they saw the U.S. as a helpful ally in the fight against coronavirus.
In Germany, 42 percent said the view of the United States in general has worsened a lot during the pandemic. In France, 46 percent said the same thing.
And that is the subject of a new CNN analysis entitled "The World Isn't Laughing at America -- It's Pitying Us.
CNN Politics White House reporter Stephen Collinson joins me now from Washington. And, you know, I have to say your take on this Stephen was bracing (ph). You know, you're saying that look, they are not laughing at America. The world is actually pitying America. And that is much different, isn't it?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Right. It was one of Donald Trump's great campaign lines in 2016. He would tell his crowd that look the world is laughing at us. They are not paying for NATO. China is ripping us off in trade, et cetera, et cetera.
That was never really true. But the world is now looking at the United States in a very different way. Much of the world is coming out of the coronavirus pandemic. A number of nations have been successful in suppressing that curve.
The United States is getting worse and worse. We are on the edge now of what looks, you know, like a national calamity four months into this. The U.S. curve is not being suppressed, it is getting worse and worse. The virus is marching across southern and western states, consuming big population centers in places like Florida, Texas, California, Arizona.
And the President basically is ignoring it. He hasn't spoken about the virus for a number of days. He's more concerned about protecting statues which honor confederate generals, civil war heroes who fought against the United States itself to preserve slavery in the south than he is about talking about this virus because it's inconvenient, it's slowing the economy, and it looks like it's going to affect his reelection chances.
NEWTON: Yes. And that seems to be front and center for him right now, of course. And yet in terms of the allies, allies in the E.U., allies really in Asia as well, people who really counted on America at one point in time, how do you think this will change their view as they see that America is really one of the only developed countries in the world that has not been able to flatten that curve. COLLINSON: I think that the last three and a half years of this
presidency has been a buckling of assumptions about the United States. That it would always stand up for its alliance system in Asia. That it will always side with its allies in Europe on issues like human rights.
You're seeing President Trump, you know, ignite trade wars with U.S. partners. Treat U.S. partners very poorly. We saw in some new reporting by Carl Bernstein today, for example, how he has behaved very poorly towards allies like German Chancellor Angela Merkel, while cozying up to tyrants like Vladimir Putin in Russia or Xi Jinping in China.
So I think, you know, it's been a gradual process but the fact that the United States of America, the most powerful country in the world. The country that in previous international crises, health wise or national security wise, a lot of the rest of the world look to for lead cannot get this under control and appears unable to deal with its own problems.
That comes as a big blow to soft power at a time when nations like China and Russia are promoting their own political systems as more effective than the United States system of a market democracy.
So certainly this is going to take a real toll whoever wins the next election, the prestige and the reputation of the United States is going to take some rebuilding.
NEWTON: And it will take some rebuilding, like you said even if things do change with the election.
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NEWTON: I was struck by something that the German foreign minister said saying that look we don't think that putting in a Democratic administration is going to change things, things that have been broken now between the relationship between Europe and the United States.
You know, it's interesting Stephen -- this isn't a snapshot in time, is it, framed by the Trump administration. Something different is going on here. It really is a departure.
COLLINSON: That is right and even if, for example, an internationalist Democrat like Joe Biden wins the next election, there is going to be in a lot of foreign ministers in Europe for example, the feeling well, you know, the United States went down this track once before -- this isolationist, populist almost demagogic track under President Donald Trump.
He was elected by more than, you know, half of the people in the United States although he lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton. So he won the election fair and square in 2016.
So there is a substantial portion of this country that likes the idea of America first that wants to sever traditional U.S. relations, that thinks countries like Germany should pay more for their defense. So, you know, Donald Trump just didn't come from nowhere. These are
feelings that have been building in the United States for a long time. And we're coming to sort of the end to a hinge in history if you like, the World War II generation is passing into history. Those ties that were forged between the United States and its European allies during the Second World War, its rebuilding of Japan for example, after the Second World War -- that is fading into history.
That system as well, is far less relevant for the lives of many Americans that it used to be. So, I think we're looking at a time of, you know, for real changes in the international relationships and the international system at a time when, you know, a nation like China is really beginning to flex its muscles and challenge U.S. power across the board not just in Asia.
NEWTON: Stephen -- I'm glad you pointed out nearly half of voters in the United State did in fact vote Donald Trump into power. It is not just the personality of the man and really what he's done in office. It is something with the American people.
Stephen Collinson joining us from Washington. Appreciate it.
Now the list of companies keeps getting longer. Coming up the impact of the advertising boycott of Facebook.
Plus Tiktok is losing one of its largest markets. Why India has decided to ban the popular Chinese video sharing app.
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NEWTON: Cirque du Soleil has for bankruptcy protection blaming the coronavirus pandemic for disrupting its shows in Las Vegas and right around the world. Now the company has laid off about 95 percent of its workforce and is looking to restructure its debt which is reportedly close to a billion dollars.
Now Cirque is based in Montreal. It is a Canadian and Quebec institution. It has now gotten a lifeline from the Quebec government to help it stay afloat.
[01:44:55]
NEWTON: The video streaming service Twitch is suspending an account belonging to President Trump's campaign. Twitch said two videos violated its policy against hateful conduct. One was a 2016 campaign rally in which Candidate Trump called Mexicans rapists and criminals. The other was the recent rally in Tulsa, where the President spoke hypothetically of a very tough hombre breaking into the home of a young woman.
Investors appear to be taking notice at the expanding advertiser boycott of Facebook. Now, its shares fell nearly 3 percent in early trading Monday before recovering though. The company is facing a growing list of companies that are putting a pause on ads for the month of July. The "stop hate for profit" campaign launched the boycott accusing the platform of failing to stop hate speech and misinformation. Among the latest to join the boycott, large companies here -- Pfizer, HP and Ford.
John Defterios is in Abu Dhabi with more on this. And I know you are following this. Good to see you.
There is still quite a bit of momentum, of course, behind the stop the hate campaign. It's going to become untenable for some companies to sign on, right? I mean people are going to say, are these companies also taking a pause and having a look at how they're spending their advertising dollars?
JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: Yes. It's a good way of putting it -- Paula, because I think we're at that tipping point where the Fortune 500 companies feel they need to show their solidarity and we're going to be at that next phase where they're going to be singled out if they don't jump in, right, especially the biggest companies in the United States.
Now, there are two distinct camps forming here. This is what I find interesting about it. You mentioned some of the names that we saw overnight jump in on this. Ford and Pfizer, Denny's the diner chain, Adidas and Puma which compete fiercely in sports apparel. They're signing on for the month of July -- that's the commitment.
Then you see others take a much big step, Clorox which has been in a high demand during pandemic because of its disinfectants says this will last until the end of 2020. Microsoft actually started its campaign in May. And some are not limited to Facebook and the other company that it owns -- Instagram but all social media I think that has kind of reached that level.
There's also a challenge here for Facebook despite the spokesman coming on to CNN this weekend, Nick Clegg, the former British politician. Mark Zuckerberg has been seen as too complacent in fighting against hate and then that raises the other question -- Paula. That is this too big to manage?
Is the company too large in general at 2.6 billion active monthly users and revenues of $70 billion? So Common Sense Media, which is behind the campaign, one of the players in it suggested they'd like to see European Union support for regulations.
I'm starting to hear this more and more. The TV industry, as you know -- Paula, radio, print media -- it's all regulated. This is such a behemoth and not alone in social media but they're global. And how do you try to regulate it. But they think that the Europeans would be more sensible to this sort of approach because of the investigations they've done on anti-trust competition in the past. They think they can apply it to regulation when it comes to hate crimes as well.
NEWTON: Yes, you make such a good point about that. And in the sense that this could be an existential crisis for Facebook and yet its stock price is not reflecting that so far. I think it's what you just point out, right. Will the regulation be there and that's sort of going to be the litmus test?
I want to move on to what's going on between China and India. You know, they've had recent clashes on that physical border in the last few weeks.
What's interesting here is that India seems to be taking that battle to social media platforms. Why?
DEFTERIOS: You know, this is fascinating because you have a border clash and that's something that's been going on for decades -- off and on and they're fired up. And now they've erecting a fire wall, if you will, right. The technology fire wall.
There's 59 apps that are Chinese based that are very popular in India. Three standout because of the audience that they've been able to develop. Tiktok, WeChat and Weibo.
Tiktok alone -- Paula, 120 million users, that's the 10th of the Indian population. The sticking point here and this is what India is suggesting is happening -- the data usage of the Indian users has been harvested and exploited. They did not say to China but being used outside.
So this is being done in the name of national security and they extended that to defense. So it's a 21st century battle, and one of two titans, right? Both populations better than a billion. These things flare up but for the first time we actually see them being aggressive when it comes to technology now and China itself because of its pervasiveness.
NEWTON: John Defterios -- thanks so much for that. Two fascinating stories and surely more to come on both of those in the coming days and weeks. Appreciate it.
Now during the midst of the pandemic, yes, a pandemic. Would you be comfortable in a situation like this?
[01:49:56[
NEWTON: You hear the screaming right? Droplets, pandemics, coronavirus. Country singers hold ill-advised concerts over the weekend and surprise, surprise -- yes, they're catching some flack.
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NEWTON: The yelling just speaks for itself. You are looking at country star Chase Rice holding a packed concert in the U.S. state of Tennessee. This wasn't last year. It's not even early this year. No, it was just a few hours ago, over the weekend.
No social distancing as you can see for yourself. Most fans not wearing masks.
Yes, do you think it might turn into a super spreader event? Now, many in the industry are calling the show selfish, but Rice has not apologized. He did release a video Monday saying fan safety is of course, a huge priority and asked to please follow the rules so regular shows can return.
According to his site, Rice's next concert is this Friday in Kentucky, but when it comes to country music, Rice, you know, he's not the only renegade.
Another star, as you see there, Chris Jansen (ph), held a concert last weekend in Idaho. Fewer people, but the conditions were about the same.
My next guest writes in "Variety", "Rice has made his resistance to quarantining known before. Back in March he released a song he'd written about the coronavirus crisis, quoting, "Dear corona, you don't know the heart of a country fan. You don't know that we don't give a damn."
Journalist Chris Willman is with me from Los Angeles. He's also the author of "Rednecks and Bluenecks: The Politics of Country Music". And we can say that again, right. It's politics, it's country music, and wow, this whipped up a culture war? And it continues, you know, really to rage. This was pretty raw.
CHRIS WILLMAN, JOURNALIST: Yes, a lot of country stars, obviously they're from the red states. They tend to be the states that's been a little quicker to open up. People aren't wearing masks and I think going into these shows that have already been booked, they thought, you know, maybe we can get away with this. Obviously they want to -- you know, everybody is frustrated, no matter what type of music they play.
And they're not paying their bands, their crews. And so when these when opportunities come up, I think they thought, you know, maybe we can get away with this. it won't really be noticed. But then they go and post videos of the crowds, which is going to be noticed by everybody for these shows that otherwise might not have gotten any attention if they just haven't drawn attention to themselves.
NEWTON: Well, it might get attention if this does turn out to be a super spreader event. And now Chase Rice, we should say did release a statement. Let's take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHASE RISE, MUSICIAN: We took a video of the concert. Everybody had a blast. But then once I posted the video a lot of people seeing that online had a big problem with how the show looked, how the show went down.
And I understand there's a lot of varied opinions, a lot of different opinions on COVID-19, how it works with live music, crowds and what all that looks like. My biggest thing is you all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Ok. Now we should say Chris Jansen (ph), the country star we were talking about previous, his management says he was just fulfilling, you know, like two dozen other performers a contractual obligation. They all say that they obviously want to take care of their fans.
But what is at stake here, Chris? Because clearly from some of the reaction even from country music fans, they've taken this really to heart.
[01:55:03]
WILLMAN: Yes. I mean there's a real polarization as there is with so many things in America right now. But even in the country music world, you know, you have people like Kelsea Ballerini (ph) say it's selfish and you're just making it harder for those of us who want to get to a point when we can go out and do real concerts.
But then some of these guys' fans, they go on social medias and they're defending them. And you know -- it's the type of people who say, you know, we should already be moving on. This affects such a small part of the population. It's all young people at the concerts. Everything will be fine.
And so I think that's why you see Chase Rice not apologizing in the state. It is because a lot of his fans don't want him to apologize. They see him as a symbol of somebody who's trying to get out there and open things up again.
NEWTON: So you think that's why he had to be equivocal a bit then, because he didn't apologize quite clearly. He said he had everyone's safety at heart. But he didn't apologize.
WILLMAN: Yes. No apologies, no regrets, no second thoughts. He did say I know it appeared that.
NEWTON: Yes. To say the least. You know, you mentioned though the tweet from Kelsea Ballerini. I think it's important to actually say what she said because it was searing. "Imagine being selfish enough to put thousands of people's health at risk, not to mention potential ripple effect and play a normal country concert right now. We all want and need the tour. We just care about our fans and their families enough to wait."
Ouch. Where do you think this is headed in the next few weeks? I mean this is summer season, right? Country fans, country performers were supposed to be on those stages day in, day out right now.
WILLMAN: Yes. Well, I think the reaction to Chase Rice and Chris Jansen probably put the fear of God in everyone. If the coronavirus didn't, then backlash from, you know, half their audience did. And so, you know, a lot of the shows that country stars have been trying to do have been drive-in shows. And this next show that Chase Rice has booked is a drive-in show.
And most, you know, are starting to be fairly popular at some parts of the country. And people are urged to stay in and around their cars.
And so, you know, with that being possible it sort of boggles the mind why somebody would try to do a normal show and not enforce the distancing and have -- take shots of the crowd look they're, you know, (INAUDIBLE) or Glastonbury or something.
NEWTON: We will keep our fingers crossed that we are wrong. But that will be a super spreader event and continue to see how they try and change really the character of country music especially during this summer season.
Chris Willman -- I really appreciate you joining us.
WILLMAN: Thanks for having me on.
NEWTON: And thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM.
I'm Paula Newton and I'll be back with another hour of CNN NEWSROOM in just a moment. Stay with us.
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