Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
World Leaders Prepare to Converge on Rome, Glasgow; WHO: Europe Accounts for 57% of New Global Cases. Commission Recommends Charges Against Bolsonaro; Top U.S. General: Hypersonic Test "Very Concerning"; Taiwan's President Speaks with CNN; An Alternative to Single-Use Plastic; Prince Charles to Deliver Opening Address at COP26. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired October 28, 2021 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:00:23]
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello everyone, I'm John Vause. Ahead here on CNN Newsroom, Russia and China send their regrets, France you're not speaking to Australia, Europe disappointed in the United States. Not quite the happy reunion for G20 leaders meeting in-person for the first time since the pandemic begun.
Locked down, what locked down. Business has been booming for some tour operators as an 11 day stay at home order comes into effect from Moscow. And the Pentagon confirms China tested a new version of a hypersonic missile and warns of a Sputnik moment. While the leader of Taiwan tells CNN in an exclusive interview, the threat from mainland China is growing by the day.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN Newsroom with John Vause.
VAUSE: In the coming days, world leaders will gather to back-to-back summits tried to find ways to end an unprecedented public health crisis and save the planet from the existential threat of global warming. The first meeting is in Rome, and the meeting of the 20 leaders of the biggest economies in the world. After that the roadshow heads to Glasgow in Scotland for the climate summit, known as COP26. The gathering of the G20 in Rome could have been a happy reunion, the first in person meeting for these leaders since the pandemic began. But Xi Jinping of China and Russia's Vladimir Putin and no shows for both events. And they're not the only ones. Some of the leaders of countries with the worst record on climate change are also staying away. While the U.S. President will meet with the Pope, you'll also arrive without a firm commitment from Congress on his plan to mitigate climate change, in particular, how much the U.S. is willing to invest. We have more now from CNN, Nic Robertson.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): Rome is ready. But some invitees are not President Putin of Russia to be a no show. President Xi of China too, Mexico's PM AMLO too can't come to Rome, they say because of COVID issues at home. Last year's G20 in Riyadh pandemic restrictions kept everyone away.
(On camera): Rome was supposed to be different the first face-to-face for G20 leaders since Japan hosted the summit June 2019. But now rather than a meeting of big rivals, it could be a lot less frosty. Even so it won't be an easy ride.
(Voice-over): COVID topics specifically vaccine inequality, along with climate change will dominate. Equality for women and support for small and medium businesses will also be on the agenda. At stake too, the reputation for these world leader summits for delivering on what they promise.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Together, we have addressed this challenge.
ROBERTSON: A year ago, G20 leaders promised to use their wealth to help poorer nations get vaccines. Since then, Russia, China, the U.S. and others have shipped vaccines to developing nations. But summit rhetoric then and since has become detached from ground reality. The U.K.'s former PM one among many calling on today's leaders to match words with action.
GORDON BROWN, WHO AMBASSADOR, GLOBAL HEALTH FINANCING: Boris Johnson promised at the G7 that he was going to vaccinate the whole world, but since then, so little has happened.
ROBERTSON: The G20 nations have deep pockets accounting for 80% of the world's GDP, many facing increasing pressure to give vaccines to the developing world now, ahead of booster shots at home.
ANTONIO GUTERRES, UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL: It's allowing variants to develop and run wild condemning the world to millions more deaths and prolonging an economic slowdown that could cost trillions of dollars.
ROBERTSON: COVID is a hot topic on Rome streets too. There is anger with the government's handling of the crisis. Europe's strictest vaccine to work policy.
(On camera): Bringing the pandemic under control and ending economic uncertainty will no doubt help focus leaders minds here. But absent President Xi and Putin physically at the table, speeding adjoined up COVID solution seems a stretch. Nic Robertson, CNN, Rome.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Susan Glasser is a CNN Global Affairs Analyst as well as staff writer for The New Yorker. She joins us this hour from Washington. Susan, welcome back.
SUSAN GLASSER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Thank you so much.
VAUSE: For the G20 meeting and the COP26 Climate Summit which follows will be notable for who does not show up. Listen to the U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. [01:05:07]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAKE SULLIVAN, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: I would point out that neither China nor Russia will be attending the summit in person at the leader level, largely, it seems due to COVID-19, the U.S. and Europe will be there. And there'll be they're energized and United at both the G20 and COP26, driving the agenda, shaping the agenda as it relates to these significant international issues.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Is it COVID really? If Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin wanted to be at either meeting, it seems unlikely that this now waiting pandemic about to be around for almost two years, will actually keep them from attending. And it sort of raises the obvious question, how much can get done absent these two rulers in the cabal of other no shows?
GLASSER: Well, that's really tough, really hard to negotiate when you're not doing it face to face. We all know the shortcomings of zoom at this point into the pandemic. And it's hard to see a breakthrough imminent with either Russia or China.
I should note that Russia has been particularly hard hit by COVID in recent months, they have not only lagged behind on the vaccine despite having developed a successful vaccine of their own. But, you know, the death rate has really been rising to an alarming degree in Russia in recent months.
VAUSE: Yeah, it certainly is bad at the moment in Russia. But it's been worse, I guess, is one point. And at least Putin will make a virtual appearance, I think. But what we're seeing right now, though, is what is happening in Washington, which really stays in Washington, because the Democrats are unlikely to get a budget deal finalized before Biden leaves for the G20, it means he will arrive at both summits without a detailed plan on what the U.S. is willing to do and how much is willing to invest to combat climate change. I want you to listen to the White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: World leaders are not looking at is there a vote in the Senate or the House before the President gets on the plane? They're looking at what we're trying to accomplish, our commitment to doing that, the fact that we're making progress on that and the President's role and getting that done?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Yeah, to paraphrase (inaudible), as far as world leaders are concerned, there is no try only do or do not. I don't think we're leaders are interested, you know, Biden's trying to get stuff done. They just going to see what gets done, right?
GLASSER: Yeah, I think that's really important point. This is not a kid soccer game, you don't get a participation trophy and showing up. That was, I think, good for a certain amount of goodwill for the new President Biden, in the wake of President Trump leaving office. And, you know, you had many world leaders, especially European allies who welcomed that shift. But at the same time, nine months into the presidency is much more about what deliverables does President Biden have to bring. And by the way, I would point out that we see his own administration and his supporters in recent days who have said that this was a deadline, which they now are on the verge of blowing past, if not actually blowing past. It was Biden's own supporters who said, look, the President can't be embarrassed internationally, he needs Democrats, his own party.
Remember, this is -- he's not even to the point of negotiating with Republicans or negotiating with the Chinese. He's negotiating still with members of his own party, and unable still to come to a deal with them.
VAUSE: Yeah, and you touched on the fact that, you know, compared to the early days of his presidency, so the shine has rubbed off or faded from Joe Biden. There's been some very Trumpy decisions on vaccine distribution globally, our key allies received very little notice of the southern U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. There is a service now which angered France cause of betrayal. And the President of the Eurasia Group, Ian Bremmer, the foreign policy guru writes this -- said this to Bloomberg, rather, this is not going to be fun, this is not going to be easy. This is not going to be friendly. When Biden became president, his big thing was America's back, the allies don't feel that way. And the Chinese and the Russians don't feel that way. Almost nobody is prepared to accept that formulation.
So, at this point in time, when U.S. leadership is needed more than ever before in dealing with the climate crisis, is Biden in a position to step up and lead?
GLASSER: Well, again, it's very hard to do that in the context of a divided United States. And that's what we're talking about. The President has a 50/50 U.S. Senate, he has a barely a bigger margin than not in the House of Representatives with Democrats. And so, the idea that they're going to present the world with a unified face of American foreign policy is no longer reflective of the situation here.
And remember, China has estimated already that this internal division, the United States has been a massive accelerant to Chinese prestige and power around the world has probably leapfrog them ahead by a number of years through the Trump administration and now into the Biden administration. You're seeing a connection between dysfunctional and even broken democracy in the United States at home and what it is able and willing to do internationally.
VAUSE: Susan, that's a good point to finish on. But thank you very much for being with us. Susan Glasser, our CNN Global Affairs Analyst.
[01:10:00]
Right now, the only region in the world where COVID infections are rising and rising fast is Europe. Everywhere else, the World Health Organization reports, new daily case numbers are in decline. Almost 60% of all new infections worldwide in the past week were in Europe. The past 24 hours more people have died from COVID in Russia than ever before breaking the old record, which was set a day earlier. With this COVID outbreak spiraling out of control officials without reimpose lockdowns, including a stay-at-home order for Moscow which starts today.
New infections and deaths are rising to and Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, all have seen a slowdown in the rate of vaccination.
Dr. Scott Miscovich is a National Consultant in the United States with COVID-19 testing. He joins us now from Hawaii. Good to see you again, Dr. Scott Miscovich, how are you?
DR. SCOTT MISCOVICH, NATIONAL CONSULTANT FOR COVID-19 TESTING: Hi, John, how are you today?
VAUSE: I'm well, thank you. OK, so the head of the CDC in the United States, you may have noticed she's been very upbeat, in recent days, even encouraging kids to get out there in the United States enjoy Halloween, trick or treating, it's on. She knows that cases are down. But she also had this word of caution. Now is not the time to become complacent. Because whole cases are fully the number of new infections are falling, they're still incredibly high. And what the concern is that it's coming cold weather. And that means people be indoors. That means it could spread more. So, my question is, how much is what's happening in Eastern Europe right now, as well as in Russia, prologue for North America and other parts of the world because we've seen this trend before.
MISCOVICH: It absolutely is. But it's going to be a little more regional and a little more focal. And what I mean by that is that, you know, we have some areas like here in Hawaii, we're over 70% vaccination rate, and we're ready for a big uptick in pediatric vaccines, we have some regions that are hitting into the 70s, yet we still have these regions that are 50%.
Now those areas have to be concerned, because 50%, 55% even is not enough of a rate to even stop the disease when you talk about indoors. Now, what's also making this a challenge is look at what's going on in Europe, we have the Eastern Bloc countries that are really focusing with this, you know, rise that they're having. And in the United States, we have a lot of the -- you know, areas that were Trump supporters and that we're fighting it both groups, both in the United States and in the Eastern Bloc are resisting the government for this. So, we have a challenge in the United States, that could be exactly the same. But I still think that there are areas that will not be anywhere near where they were in the past. And, you know, endorses the concern.
VAUSE: That's going to get spread very easily, especially with this Delta Variant. Moscow is now starting a day lockdown, but it seems many have decided to, you know, opt out. In the past few days, business has been booming for some travel agents. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MKHISSIN RAMI, TRAVEL AGENCY MANAGER (through translation): It started five or six days ago, after they announced the lockdown. Clearly, no one wants to stay in Moscow, because what can you do here? So, demand went up by about five times for sure.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Results is saying that their prices have gone up five or six times as well. And you're getting a Dodge may seem like a good idea to avoid the hardships of a lockdown. But it also seems to be a very good way of keeping the virus spreading, keeping this alive?
MISCOVICH: Yeah, and it's very challenging. Some regions have pre- arrival testing requirements or have vaccination requirements, but not all of them. And so, if you're just going to a close location, you're exactly right. You're spreading the disease. Let's face it, how did we get where we are right now is because of the variants and the variants have been able to spread due to the travel, and due to the lack of enforcement and the lack of mitigation. So, you're exactly correct, that, you know, we have the new AY 42, which is another, you know, maybe 20% more of infective case of Delta that's out there, it's just going to start spreading to more areas. So, it's a very big concern. And I understand that other areas should be concerned in the region.
VAUSE: In terms of human behavior, we have this track record now, when it comes to trying to beat this pandemic of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, time and time and time again. The head of the World Health Organization touched on that earlier this week. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TEDROS ADHANOM, DIRECTOR-GENERAL, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: The pandemic will end when the world chooses to end it. It is in our hands. We have all the tools we need, effective public health tools, and effective medical tools. Unlike so many other health challenge we can prevent this disease.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: It's striking, this pandemic will end when we choose to end it, you know, it seems like, we will always do the right thing once every other option is well and truly exhaustive. Is there any way of quantifying how long the life of this pandemic has been extended by our very own bad decisions?
[01:15:07]
MISCOVICH: Oh, it's been extended years. And as I sit here, and I'm working with colleagues all over the world right now, we're already projecting that, you know, get used to the next two vaccines you're going to have to get, I believe the United States will be, you know, having vaccines open to the entire country by June. And when you look at this, you still have only 3% of the poor countries that have been vaccinated. So, until the world really finds a way to get those vaccines to the rest of the developing countries, we are going to have this continues. So, I think right now we have to be talking where most of us believe 2025. And, yes, if we would have come together as a world.
Let me give you a perfect example. Look at Portugal and Ireland. These countries have come together, they vaccinated, they've mitigated, and they've taken control. There are perfect roadmaps for the world to look at the same. This is how you control it. This is how you shorten the duration. We need to find those ways. And we're a long way as you look at Eastern Europe and you look at certain areas in the in the United States, we have to come together, but three years is at least my answer to your question.
VAUSE: That is so depressing. Dr. Scott Miscovich, I appreciate your insights. And thank you for being with us.
MISCOVICH: Thanks, John for having me.
VAUSE: Take care.
Three years ago, then U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the Iran Nuclear Deal, hoping that would kill this landmark international agreement once and for all. But now what appears to be signs of life and the chance to revive it. Iran's Chief Nuclear Envoy says talks with world powers will resume before the end of next month. World level diplomatic negotiations were suspended in June after Iran elected their hardline president. It's not clear what's changed the Biden administration has been pushing for Iran to return to these talks. The U.S. Secretary of State has recently warned the window for diplomacy is closing. Iran has long insisted the U.S. was at fault for leaving the deal and must lift all sanctions before progress can be made.
International pressure is going on the leaders of Sudan's military coup, the African Union has now suspended Sudan's membership, and the World Bank has paused disbursements for all operations. On Wednesday, seven international envoys met with Sudan's proposed Prime Minister as protesters took to the streets again, amid a growing call for civil disobedience. CNN's Nima Elbagir is following developments now reporting in from London.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Sudan's airport reopened to international flights and taken in tandem with the return to his own home by Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and his wife. There was a sense that perhaps the generals Sudan's erstwhile military rulers were trying to step back from the precipice of this confrontation with the global community and with their own populist in Sudan over there cutting short the transitional period and seizing power back from the civilian leadership. But we are hearing from the ground on Sudan that violence continues. And these videos that we've been able to verify from social media show that violence continues in standoffs between Sudanese soldiers and members of the pro-democracy movement. There are fears that that violence will only continue to grow, as greater calls for civil disobedience are being heard and also calls for more protests in the lead up to protests over the weekend that demonstrators are hoping will reach the millions in the capital of Khartoum itself. Nima Elbagir, CNN, London.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Well, the worst is not over for parts of Sicily already overwhelmed by heavy rain and flooding. Forecasters say the storm that caused all of this damage. That's not done yet. We'll have more in a moment.
Also, they share a worldview and an appalling record on dealing with the pandemic. When we come back, the Trump of the tropic gets great big thumbs up from the real Trump.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:21:18]
VAUSE: Sicily bracing for more rain and flash flooding from the powerful storm inundating parts of the island this week. At least two people have died, one is missing after floodwaters gushed into streets and flooded homes and businesses. Emergency crews have carried out hundreds of rescues. Barbie Nadeau reports, it's been caused by a rare hurricane like storm.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Devastating flash floods caused by a Medicane or hurricane in the Mediterranean and the Sicilian town of Catania on the flanks of Mount Etna have turned roads into rivers have shut down the city. Cars were floating in normally picturesque squares and roads were washed out after the area received a year's worth of rain in just 48 hours. The city cut power to the center of town and close all schools and businesses until at least Friday. The head of Italy Civil Protection warned that the worst is not over since forecast show more rain on the way. Barbie Nadeau, CNN, Rome.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Question now how much more rain is there to come, and Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri has the forecast and all the details. Pedram.
PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: John, just getting started here with the rainfall that we've seen and the amount of rainfall in store, you'll notice the alerts the highest level of concern across much of Sicily on into portions of Calabria just to the north rainfall amounts going to really exceed another 100 plus millimeters in some of these areas. And you'll see how things have played out here. We've seen the rainfall, we've seen, of course, the flooding take place down across the streets, days and days of 50 to 100 millimeters coming down in an area that frankly gets about four to 500 millimeters in an entire year in about seven months worth of that has come down in the last say three to four days.
There's the storm system. Again, we talked about how this is kind of a medicane essentially resembling a hurricane into the Mediterranean has a lot of these tropical characteristics. But the main difference it is bound by the Mediterranean, which keeps it quite a bit smaller, the wind element quite a bit lower. But for this particular region, this is as impressive as it gets. And notice the system from Thursday into Friday, even into Saturday. Just kind of meanders, this region doesn't really leave. And that's that persistent rainfall we expect over the next several days. So exactly how much rainfall are we looking at. Well, the severe weather concern is a level two on a scale of one to three there, we expect extreme rains to continue in some of these regions. And with these medicanes essentially happens one to two times per year, peaks around right now as you transition into the autumn months and into winter. And again, cold core as opposed to tropical systems that are warm core. But notice those contours of yellows and oranges, that's another 100 to one or 250 millimeters.
Catania has seen about 350 millimeters already 446 is what it gets in an entire year. So, John, you do the numbers. That's about 76% of the entire year's worth of rainfall that has fallen in Catania since Monday morning and shows you how things have your has been a rough as it gets here across parts of the Mediterranean.
VAUSE: Yeah, it's been a rough couple of days. Pedram thank you, Pedram Javaheri there with the forecast.
Brazil Senate Commission has officially recommended criminal charges for President Jair Bolsonaro over his failed response to the coronavirus pandemic. The final decision though is now with the Attorney General, Bolsonaro appointee and ally.
On Barcelona Watch, Brazil has recorded more than 600,000 pandemic deaths, the second highest in the world. And now with his approval ratings falling, the leader of the country with the highest death toll in the world for the pandemic is speaking out in his support. CNN's Isa Soares has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: (voice-over): He's been dubbed the Trump of the tropics and with less than a year until the Brazilian election, President Jair Bolsonaro is getting a reelection boost from the man himself.
In a statement, former U.S. President Donald Trump calls him a great President who will never let the people of his great country down.
[01:25:05]
Trump's show of support coming just hours after Brazilian Senate committee recommended that Bolsonaro face nine charges including crimes against humanity, for his mishandling of the pandemic, which is claimed more than 600,000 lives. Only the United States has lost more lives. The explosive report accuses Bolsonaro of intentionally allowing COVID-19 to spread throughout Brazil in an effort to reach herd immunity. It also claims he delayed vaccine distribution in Brazil by ignoring at least 72 emails from Pfizer. Bolsonaro has dismissed the charges as politically motivated, blaming his opponents and leftist groups.
JAIR BOLSONARO, BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT (through translation): They labeled me as genocidal, a charlatan, document forger and exterminate. It's absurd what these guys have done.
SOARES: Throughout the pandemic, Bolsonaro has repeatedly dismissed the severity of COVID-19 calling it a (inaudible), just a little cold and spreading misinformation about the virus. Just last week, he claimed on a Facebook live stream that COVID vaccines could cause AIDS. Facebook finally removing the misleading video almost a week later, with growing anger on the streets and plummeting approval ratings, Bolsonaro has increasingly look to the American right for inspiration.
DONALD TRUMP JR., FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP'S SON: Do you go the path of socialism? Or do you remain steadfast and strong for freedom.
SOARES: Just a few months ago, the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC and American import joined in hoping to revive Jair Bolsonaro is dwindling bass, taking a page from the Trump playbook.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bolsonaro will win unless it's stolen by guess what? The machines.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The machines.
SOARES: Bolsonaro has been sowing doubt on the integrity of Brazil's entire electronic voting system, calling for printed ballots to supplement electronically cast votes.
BOLSONARO (through translation): You don't have proof that there is fraud. But there's also no proof that there isn't.
SOARES: As the calls for his impeachment grow louder and the threats of criminal prosecution loom large. Bolsonaro continues to fight for political survival. Echoing the words of his U.S. ally and role model Donald Trump and threatening not to hand over the presidency next year. If there's a suspicion of fraud.
Bolsonaro (through translation): I have three alternatives for my future being arrested, killed or victory.
SOARES: Isa Soares, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: You're watching CNN Newsroom. Still ahead here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Is Taiwan more safe today than it was when you became president in 2016?
TSAI ING-WEN, TAIWAN PRESIDENT: If it's a threat from China, is increasing every day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: More from CNN's Will Ripley's exclusive interview with Taiwan's president in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:30:19]
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: The president of Taiwan has spoken bluntly about an increasing military threat from mainland China and has told CNN in an exclusive interview defense cooperation with the United States is more extensive than just the sale of billions of dollars of weapons each year.
But President Tsai Ing-Wen also told CNN Taipei is willing to sit down and hold talks with Beijing to try and lower regional tensions.
On the same day came confirmation from the Pentagon that China tested a new hypersonic missile back in August. America's highest ranking military officer Mark Milley indicated the test was a surprise, describing it as being very close to a Sputnik moment, a reference to the Soviet Union launching the world's first satellite into orbit.
"The Financial Times" broke the story early this month reporting the space-launched weapon had potential to evade America's missile defense systems. General Milley says he's increasingly concerned about the rapid pace of improvement of China's military.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GENERAL MARK MILLEY, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: Now, what we saw was a very significant event of a test of a hypersonic weapon system, and it is very concerning. I think I saw in some of the newspapers that they used the term Sputnik moment. I don't know if it's quite a Sputnik moment but I think it's very close to that.
So it's a very significant technological event that occurred or test that occurred by the Chinese. And it has all of our attention.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Let's go to CNN's Will Ripley, live this hour in Taipei. The U.S. has -- or China has the U.S.'s attention over the hypersonic missile. I'm sure it has Taiwan's attention as well.
WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. And they are very acutely aware that right now here in Taipei, the Taiwanese capital, there are scores of missiles from the mainland that are pointed in this direction that could arrive here in a matter of minutes. It's a threat this island has lived under for decades.
And yet, we are at a time now where tensions are at some of their highest levels that we've seen since 1979.
And the leader of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-Wen, decided that now was that time to give her first international interview in nearly two years and she talked about a wide range of topics, beginning though with the situation with the mainland.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RIPLEY ((voice over): At this temple in Taipei, prayer and politics go hand in hand for Taiwan President Tsai Ing-Wen.
TSAI ING-WEN, TAIWANESE PRESIDENT: Normally, when I go through the temple, there are hundreds of people there where I will shake hands with each one of them.
RIPLEY (on camera): People are remarkably happy, at ease.
TSAI: You have to give them a sense that there's somebody there to take care of them.
RIPLEY (voice over) : Elected in 2016 Tsai won reelection by a landslide last year on a promise to keep people safe from what she calls a growing threat across the Taiwan Strait.
(on camera): Is Taiwan more safe today than it was when you became president in 2016?
TSAI: This threat from China is increasing every day.
RIPLEY (voice over): The mainland's massive military -- 2 million strong, more powerful than ever. China flew 150 warplanes near Taiwan in just five days this month.
This democracy of more than 23 million governed separately from the mainland for more than 70 years since the end of China's civil war, still seen as a breakaway province in the eyes of Beijing's communist rulers, who have never controlled the island.
China has pressured most of the world to sever formal diplomatic ties with Taipei. Chinese President Xi Jinping says reunification is only a matter of time.
(on camera): Are you interested in speaking with President Xi. Would you like to have more communication with him?
TSAI: More communication would be helpful so that would reduce misunderstanding given our differences -- differences in terms of our political systems.
We can sit down and talk about our differences and try to make arrangements so that we will be able to co-exist peacefully.
RIPLEY: Your predecessor, as you know, did meet with President Xi. Why do you think that things -- the communication has really gone south since 2016?
TSAI: Well, I think the situation has changed a lot. And China's plan towards the region is very different.
RIPLEY (voice over): That plan includes war threats over Taiwan, clashes with Japan in the East China Sea and militarizing manmade islands in the South China Sea, posing a direct challenge to seven decades of U.S. military supremacy in the Indo-Pacific.
[01:34:54]
RIPLEY: In response, the U.S. ramped up arms sales to Taiwan, selling the island $5 billion in weapons last year.
President Tsai confirms exclusively to CNN, U.S. support goes beyond selling weapons.
(on camera): Does that support includes sending some U.S. service members to help train Taiwanese troops?
TSAI: Well yes. We have a wide range of cooperation with the U.S. aiming at increasing our defense capabilities.
RIPLEY: How many U.S. service members are deployed in Taiwan right now?
TSAI: Not as many as people thought.
RIPLEY (voice over): Defense Department records show the number of U.S. troops in Taiwan increased from 10 in 2018 to 32 earlier this year.
The State Department asked for more Marines to safeguard the unofficial U.S. embassy in Taipei. Any U.S. military presence in Taipei, big or small, is perceived by Beijing as an act of aggression, state media says.
When reports surfaced earlier this month of U.S. Marines training Taiwanese troops, China released this video -- a training exercise targeting Taiwan independence and interference by external forces like the U.S.
A warning for President Joe Biden who vowed to defend Taiwan at this "CNN TOWN HALL" last week.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: So you're saying that the United States would come to Taiwan's defense if China attacks.
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Yes. Yes we have a commitment to do that.
RIPLEY: The White House later walked back Biden's comments. They seemed to contradict the long-standing U.S. policy of strategic ambiguity, leaving U.S. military involvement in Taiwan an open question.
TSAI: People have different interpretations of what President Biden has said.
RIPLEY (on camera): Do you have faith that the United States would defend Taiwan if the mainland were to try to move on Taiwan?
TSAI: I do have faith. And given the long term relationship that we have with the U.S. and also the support of the people of the U.S., as well as the Congress and the administration has been very helpful.
RIPLEY (voice over): Taiwan's defense minister says China could launch a full scale war by 2025. He says military tensions are the worst in more than 40 years.
TSAI: We have to expedite our military reform so that we have the ability to defend ourselves.
And given the size of Taiwan compared to the size of the PRC, developing asymmetric capability is the key for us.
RIPLEY (on camera): How prepared is Taiwan, today?
TSAI: We are trying to make us stronger in every aspect, and that includes our military capability and our international support.
RIPLEY (voice over): Support bolstered, she says, buy Taiwan's critical importance to the global supply chain. The island is a world leader in semiconductors. Taiwan was Asia's fastest growing economy last year. A fact President Tsai proudly points out over lunch.
TSAI: This is one of my favorite food.
RIPLEY (on camera): Oh right.
(voice over): Despite everything she appears calm and confident.
(on camera): You talked about how really the situation is so complex now.
TSAI: Yes. It is very complex. This is probably the most challenging time for people of Taiwan.
RIPLEY: You read the outside headlines, "the most dangerous place on earth".
TSAI: We read these reports as a reminder to us as to what sort of threat we're under and we have to get ourselves better prepared. But we're not panicked. We're not anxious because we have gone through so many difficulties in the past.
RIPLEY (voice over): she says Taiwan's future must be decided by its people. The people who've worked hard over the last 70 years to build the world's only Chinese-speaking democracy. A democracy under growing threat.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
RIPLEY: President Tsai is the first Taiwanese leader in more than 40 years to publicly acknowledge the presence of U.S. military trainers here in Taiwan.
And her defense minister was questioned about this in parliament just a number of hours ago. He also confirmed the presence of U.S. military personnel training Taiwanese troops. But he said they're not based here. He said they're only here in small numbers temporarily to assist.
Nonetheless it'll be important to watch to see what sort of reaction there is from Beijing. It was just yesterday at the ministry of foreign affairs press conference that they said they will not rule out the use of force to reunify with Taiwan at any cost.
This is a red line issue, as you know John, for the government in Beijing. They view Taiwan as the kind of top of the list item. That one piece of unfinished business that President Xi Jinping would certainly love to wrap up during his time in power.
[01:39:57]
RIPLEY: Here in Taipei, President Tsai says the United States, Japan and other Democratic countries around the world are really needed here to deter that from happening.
VAUSE: Yes. Xi Jinping would like to see it happen. The question is how far is he willing to got to make that happen. Well, I guess, we'll see.
Will Ripley. Thank you. We appreciate the report.
Retired Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Davis served 21 years on active duty with the U.S. Army. He is now a senior fellow and military expert at the thinktank Defense Priorities and author of "The 11th Hour in 2020 America".
Good to see you again. Welcome back.
LT. COL. DANIEL DAVIS (RET), DEFENSE PRIORITIES: Hi. Thanks for having me back.
VAUSE: Ok. Well there's been some debate some flak, if you like, form the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Of Staff General Milley whether or not he got it right when he compared China's test of a hypersonic missile to being very close to a Sputnik moment. That was when back in 1957 when Russia shocked the world by launching the first satellite into orbit jumping ahead of the U.S. in the space race.
So Milley sort of had this extra context, if you like. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MILLEY: They're expanding rapidly in space, in cyber and then in the tradition domains of land, sea and air. And they've gone from a peasant-based infantry army, that was very, very large in 1979 to a very capable military that covers all the domains and has global ambitions. So China is very significant on the horizon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: So no way to speak for the general but I guess what he's saying it's not so much that China is beating the United States in terms of military capability but rather developing that capability at a pace which is surprising. So what are the implications and consequences from all that?
DAVIS: Well, I think with all due respect, I don't know how anyone could be surprised by this, the least of all the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, because the Department of Defense at the Pentagon every year puts out an update on the very detailed report on the development of the Chinese military.
We've been tracking this literally for decades all the way through publicly. So anyone who claims this is a surprise, you know, with any capacity of a Sputnik moment is just a bit of a head-scratcher because -- I mean they've been specifically reporting on it since 2015 in that Pentagon report about the hypersonic missile. So all of this is kind of developing a pace.
I think that it's a lot of bluster and I don't know if they're trying to fan up the threat from China so they can get more budget money or what but the fact of the matter is that all of this development just shows that China is a modern and developing country that needs to be taken seriously.
VAUSE: Developing a weapon system by itself is not a threat, it's how the country plans to use it which could be a threat.
Listen to the Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADM. JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON SPOKESMAN: These advanced military capabilities are paired with a foreign and defense policy approach that uses intimidation and coercion of neighboring nations, to yield to China's interests.
And so taken in sum, it reinforces for us the need to continue to treat the PRC as our number one pacing challenge.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Officials in Beijing will often tell you that China has never started a war, never invaded another country. India and Vietnam, the South China Sea may beg to differ with that.
And we just heard from the leader of Taiwan talking at length to CNN about the growing threat the island faces from mainland China.
So Beijing is willing to use its military but under what context and how far, you know, is it willing to go against, is a question right now?
DAVIS: Yes. and that's absolute right question to ask that everybody needs to pay attention to because Beijing has never -- and I mean from 1949 on -- ever said anything besides if they're willing to use force to take Taiwan back so that they can complete the unification of their country that they started in their civil war and really the 1920s. So this is kind of an extension of that. It's just been paused for a long time. on these other ones, China's been very clear that they had very
limited objective military conflicts, a very short duration with Vietnam, with India as you saw it and with the Soviet Union.
But once they got -- you know, whatever their (INAUDIBLE) objectives gone, then they stop. They didn't invade the country. They didn't occupy them or any of those kinds of things.
There's no evidence -- this is the most crucial part -- there's no evidence that they had any intention or desire to conquer any other nation outside of Taiwan, and they are very serious about that. Which is why I'm so adamant that we need to, you know, stay out of that.
Under no circumstances we should fight a war with China over Taiwan. We just can't win it.
VAUSE: Well, on Tuesday, the U.S. Secretary of State released a statement about Taiwan which was not Beijing's liking. Here's part of it.
"Taiwan has been a democratic success story. we are among the many U.N. member states who view Taiwan as a valued partner and trusted friend. Taiwan's meaningful participation in the U.N. system is not a political issue a pragmatic one."
[01:44:50]
VAUSE: So if containment of China's seems to be a balancing act of maintaining a military advantage while at the same time not giving Beijing reason to act out, why would Antony Blinken essentially poke the panda here?
DAVIS: Well, that's another good question to ask and the right one because if our objective is to prevent conflict on it on the Taiwan island than it is, then we need to do things to keep things calm, in both Taipei and in Beijing.
And the last thing we need to do is to further incite Beijing to give them more reason to want to do that to do anything to Taiwan and talking about doing anything at the U.N. comes very close to violating the 1971 agreement that we agreed with, which made the PRC, the People's Republic of China, as the sole representative at the United Nations.
And so talking about that now just inflames tensions unnecessarily, and it doesn't do Taiwan any good.
That's really the one thing I want to point out here is that this is not helping Taiwan to further inflame China on something we know is an emotional issue for them.
VAUSE: It is an existential issue for China. It is a peripheral one, I guess, for the United States.
(CROSSTALK)
DAVIS: That's exactly right. Yes.
VAUSE: Daniel, thank you so much for being with us. It's good to see you again.
DAVIS: Always my pleasure. Thanks for having me.
VAUSE: And we have this. Officials in Beijing have now warned Antony Blinken's call for Taiwan to play a bigger role at U.N. pose a seismic risk to U.S.-China relations. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZHAO LIJIAN, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN (through translator): For a period of time, the U.S. has continued to make mistakes in it swords and deeds on the Taiwan issue. And China has made resolute and necessary responses.
If the U.S. insists on continuing on this path until the end regarding the Taiwan issue, it will inevitably cause a huge, subversive risk to the Sino-U.S. Relations, severely damage the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait and will also seriously damaged the self interests of the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And the spokesman from the ministry of foreign affairs ads that Taiwan's separatist policies, for that read independence, are the greatest threat to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
Still to come, how one company is hoping to use seaweed to save the world from plastic pollution.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:49:31]
VAUSE: Could seaweed be the future for the packaging of food? For this week's "Call to Earth visits the London-based start-up NOTPLA The company, whose name stands for "not plastic", is attempting to reduce dependency on single-use plastics with a revolutionary new biodegradable material.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PIERRE PASLIER, NOTPLA: The problem with plastic is that it's indestructible. It's a material that will stay around for hundreds of years. So it's really, really important (ph) that we use it for the wrong reasons. We use it in places where we throw away something after just five minutes of use. And that's really this problem that we are trying to solve.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: According to the U.N., every year 300 million tons of plastic waste is generated.
Half of that plastic is designed to be used only once. That's why Pierre Paslier set out to find a material that eliminates our reliance on plastic for single use packaging, taking his inspiration from nature.
PASLIER: We chose seaweed, because it has a lot of sustainable credentials. First of all, it grows very fast. Some of the seaweed that tried in a lab grows up to one meter per day. Second of all, it doesn't use freshwater or fertilizer to grow. It just grows on its own in the sea without human intervention.
And on top of that, when it grows, it sequesters carbon. So it really is something that has a lot more potential in helping us getting out of this problem than a lot of other (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: NOTPLA has used this innovative material to produce its flagship product -- UHU. The packaging made out of seaweed, can hold drinks, saucers and is able to bio degrade in a matter of weeks.
PASLIER: It's really in line with fruits and vegetables so that packaging can break down in a home first, extremely fast, just like an apple, or just like an orange.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The entire bubble can even be swallowed whole. Manufacture begins in NOTPLA's East London warehouse where chemists mix different seaweed and plant extracts to create a solution.
The solution is used to create a thin membrane which has properties suitable for packaging, ready to be filled with anything from ketchup to cocktails. The concept works for any liquid.
PLASIER: We partnered from the London marathon with (INAUDIBLE). They were using plastic bottles and caps. And they were really keen to reduce the amount of waste that is created at the events. And actually at the end of the event, it was brilliant. The trucks that clean the streets and usually have to stop at each station, pick up all of that plastic, they just drove by our station. There is nothing to pick up. So it was really incredible, the feeling that we had really good hydration without the plastics.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And beyond liquids, NOTPLA looking to revolutionize the takeout food industry, with British delivery company Just Eat takeaway.com seeking to replace the plastic that typically lines food delivery boxes with seaweed.
ROBIN CLARK, JUST EAT TAKEAWAY.COM: What we wanted to find was not just a card box, because that would leak. And so what the guys at NOTPLA have done so cleverly is add a lining to that card that gives the heat proof, water proof, grease free properties of plastic, but disappears in the ground in a couple of weeks.
As far as I'm aware, the packaging that we are making here with NOTPLA is by far the most sustainable, if not the first time globally that we've seen packaging like this.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Looking to the future, the team at NOTPLA is hopeful that we can find more creative solutions to the climate crisis. For Paslier the answers are all around us. PASLIER: Nature has all of the solutions. We just have to continue
getting our inspiration from different plants, different trees, different vegetables.
This is what the future looks like. We need to use more other natural materials and I think through this diversity, we can really solve this problem. And I'm really hopeful that we will.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: We will continue to report on possible solutions, not just the problems as part of this initiative at CNN. Let us know what you are doing to answer the call with the #calltoearth.
With that we'll take a short break. Back in a moment.
[01:53:53]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: Britain's Prince Charles will fill in for his mother Queen Elizabeth and deliver opening remarks at the COP26 Climate Change Summit. The queen canceled her trip to Glasgow with the palace announcing her regrets while adding she will record remarks for the world leaders attending.
The 95-year-old monarch recently spent time in hospital and canceled a trip to Northern Ireland on medical advice.
We get more details now from CNN's Max Foster.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Concerns about the queens health were raised earlier this month when she arrived at an engagement with a walking stick or cane, which is rare to see in public.
The last time we saw her in person at an event was last Tuesday, meeting business leaders at Windsor Castle. She looked well, but the next day, she canceled a visit to Northern Ireland on the advice of her doctors.
In a statement, the palace insisted she was in good spirits. And separately, we were told she'd be resting for a few days at Windsor Castle.
The next day, however, a British tabloids revealed that not to be true. The palace was forced to confirm she had in fact spent the night in hospital for some preliminary investigations.
We have not been told what those investigations were for.
The queen has continued light duties this week in the palace's words, virtual engagements from her desk at Windsor. But then, another announcement this week that she had regretfully decided she that she will no longer travel to Glasgow to attend COP26, where she was due to host world leaders at the summit. She will instead send a video message.
KATE WILLIAMS, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: Moving forward, especially to moving to the winter with COVID, we will see the queen doing more calls and less in-person meetings. But I think that as soon as the winter is over, she will be keen to get back on her feet, back out there, meeting people. It's just whether or not the doctors are going to agree with it.
FOSTER: A CNN analysis shows the queen traveled at least 1,000 kilometers, 620 miles this month even before she canceled her trip to Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Prince Charles will now step up for her at COP26, something he's increasingly having to do. Though, there is no suggestion from anyone in royal circles that the queen would ever give up role completely.
Max Foster, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause.
Please stay with us. The news continues with Rosemary Church after a very short break. I will see you tomorrow.
[01:58:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
