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Biden Unveils Economic Plan; White House Walks Back Biden's Comments; Russian Soldier Gets Live in Prison; Formula Arrives in U.S.; Pence Campaigns with Kemp in Georgia; Pence Gauging 2024 Run. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired May 23, 2022 - 09:00   ET

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

[08:59:54]

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Good Monday morning. I'm Erica Hill.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Jim Sciutto.

President Biden in Japan this morning officially launching a new Asia Pacific Economic Framework, as it's known, his signature economic initiative in the region.

[09:00:07]

The group, which includes 13 nations, aims to level the economic playing field with China. Perhaps a replacement for the TPP, which had been scrapped by the Trump administration.

But it was Biden's off-the-cuff remarks regarding Taiwan that are garnering the most attention this morning. The White House is now walking back Biden's statement that the U.S. would respond militarily if China were to invade Taiwan.

Now, seeking clarification, a source familiar with the president's thinking tells me this morning the president was speaking about providing weapons to Taiwan, which is already U.S. policy, not putting U.S. boots on the ground there, sending soldiers or sailors to defend Taiwan. That's an important distinction. We're going to have more on this in just a moment.

HILL: Also this morning, 35 tons of desperately needed baby formula arriving in the U.S. over the weekend. All of it part of that effort to address, of course, the nationwide shortage. And as more babies are hospitalized. The flight was the first of several shipments expected from Europe this week. We have new details for you this morning on when we could see some of those other flights.

SCIUTTO: Let's begin this morning with President Biden's trip to Asia. Jeremy Diamond is in Tokyo. Selina Wang is in Beijing.

Jeremy, first to you.

President Biden's Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, as it's known, agreement of a number of nations, a dozen nations in the region, something of a replacement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, TPP, which the Obama administration had introduced but Trump scrapped, but not quite.

Tell us exactly what this would do.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. This is a broad economic framework known as the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework launched by President Biden earlier today. But the details of this still very much have to be negotiated. And they will be negotiated over the next several weeks with the 13 partner nations who have signed onto this broad economic framework.

They will be making specific economic commitments in different areas. Trade, bolstering supply chains, clean energy, anti-corruption efforts. But as of now, tariffs, reducing tariffs, is not on the table. That would, on the one hand, mean that this deal doesn't necessarily require congressional authorization, but, on the other hand, critics are saying that it maybe means this deal doesn't have quite enough teeth. President Biden saying that the future of the 21st century economy will be made and defined here in the Indo-Pacific. And that's why he says he's reengaging.

As you mentioned, President Trump pulled the United States out of that Trans-Pacific Partnership in 2017. And, clearly, this is an effort to reassert the U.S.'s economic power in the region and push back on China's dominance really over the last several years, in particular since the U.S. left that TPP agreement.

HILL: Jeremy, as Jim just noted, it was really President Biden's comments, though, about Taiwan that are getting a lot of the attention this morning. Administration officials reportedly caught off guard.

What more do we know this morning about where things stand and what the administration is now saying?

DIAMOND: Yes, President Biden's comments were fairly unequivocal and ambiguous. And I want you to just listen to them before we talk about them more.

Listen.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You didn't want to get involved in the Ukraine conflict militarily for obvious reasons. Are you willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan if it comes to that?

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are?

BIDEN: That's the commitment we made.

We agree with the one China policy. We've signed on to it. And all the attendant agreements made from there. But the idea that -- that it can be taken by force, just taken by force, is just not -- is just not appropriate. It will dislocate the entire region and be another action similar to what happened in Ukraine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAMOND: And as you can see there, President Biden fairly unambiguously, unequivocally and without caveat saying that the United States would intervene militarily should China choose to move against Taiwan, to invade Taiwan.

Now, an administration official following that insisted that the president said that our policy has not changed. That U.S. policy on this matter has not changed. But if you look at the words of the president, he does appear to be throwing out this idea of strategic ambiguity, which has been the U.S.' long-standing policy as it relates to Taiwan. Essentially that the United States would not say whether or not it would intervene militarily. But you hear the president there saying that.

The president did reiterate his support for the one China policy, which essentially acknowledges but does not endorse China's position as the only Chinese government over the territories of China. But, again, the president here, once again, and not the first time, but the third time that he has now suggested the U.S. would intervene militarily should China invade Taiwan.

SCIUTTO: Well, I mean, the key is the definition is militarily, right?

[09:05:02]

So the administration officials are saying that does not mean sending soldiers or sailors there to fight Chinese forces, defining it as the Taiwan Relations Act did, which is to say the U.S. would provide weapons, as it is to Ukraine, as opposed to boots on the ground. But, you're right. it's not the first time. We've been in this place before.

Jeremy Diamond, thanks very much.

Following President Biden's comments on Taiwan, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson is urging the U.S. to, quote, earnestly follow the one China, as it's known, one China principle.

HILL: CNN correspondent Selina Wang is in Beijing this morning.

So, Selina, how else are Chinese officials responding this morning?

SELINA WANG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erica, they're responding angrily. Chinese officials lashing out just hours after Biden made those comments. The foreign ministry saying that it firmly opposes what Biden said, that no one should underestimate the resolve of China's 1.4 billion people to defend its territorial integrity. That this Taiwan issue has no concessions, no compromise.

Now, Erica, we've heard China make these types of angry and forceful statements before when it comes to Taiwan because this is a red line issue for China. China considers Taiwan the democratically ruled island of 24 million people, to be a breakaway province that must be reunited with the mainland at all costs, even by force.

And it's not the first time that Biden has made these comments only to have the White House later walk back the statements. But it's of specific significance to China now because it happened at Biden's first visit to Asia, right at China's doorstep.

And the whole purpose of the U.S. long-standing policy of strategic ambiguity is that it keeps China guessing. It is not clear exactly what the U.S. would do if China were to invade Taiwan, so it keeps both Taiwan and China from doing anything, as the logic goes, that would upset the status quo. But as China grows militarily, economically more powerful, as the threat to Taiwan becomes more real, there are more calls for an end to this ambiguity.

Now, on the other hand, others say that what Biden said is not a good idea. That it could, in fact, provoke China to accelerate its plans to take over Taiwan. But important to remember here that whatever happens to the future of the island, it will have ripple effects around the world as Taiwan is the key supplier for semiconductors that goes into everything from cars to your smartphones.

Jim. Erica.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

HILL: Yes. So important. Selina Wang, appreciate it. Thank you.

And as we look at this, Jim, you know, just -- I want to follow up on what you said earlier when you were talking with Jeremy because this is also somewhat your area of expertise, based on your past experience, and you our chief national security correspondent. We look at what was strategic ambiguity, and Selina pointed out, part of that was keeping China guessing.

What does this do this morning for U.S./Chinese relationships? Do you think there's more concern we're not hearing about?

SCIUTTO: Well, first -- no. I mean, first, let's start with what the administration is telling us now. They're saying there is no change to U.S. policy here. There is no change to what has been the policy, really, you know, since (INAUDIBLE) one China, the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, which is that the U.S. will provide Taiwan the means to defend itself, right, not dissimilar from what we're seeing in Ukraine, provide weapons, military support, et cetera, but will not put boots on the ground in Ukraine or -- well, frankly, boots or sailors on the ground, right, in Taiwan.

I spoke to an official familiar with the president's thinking just a short time ago who said, no, the policy remains the same. When President Biden says support militarily, that means provide weapons. It does not mean send U.S. forces to fight China in the event of a Chinese invasion. Now, the problem, of course, is that this is, as Jeremy was saying

there, not the first time the president has answered a question on this about defending Taiwan, defending it militarily, and said simply, yes, the U.S. will. That then, understandably, generates questions like the ones we've had this morning, is the president moving the ball forward to say that military support would be beyond providing weapons. It would be getting involved militarily.

Now, what administration officials are telling us this morning, Erica, is, no, there is no change. Is there deliberate ambiguity here to signal to China that, well, maybe that's not so rock solid anymore, that maybe the U.S. would go further here? I mean, that's essentially the question. But I ask -- I put that very specific question to an official familiar with the president's thinking this morning, and the answer in the simplest terms was, no, Taiwan Relations Act, 1979, the policy of this country for 42 years, provide defensive weapons but don't get -- don't send soldiers and sailors to help defend Taiwan.

Whether that changes in any official way in the coming weeks or months, we'll see, but that's what the administration's saying this morning.

HILL: All right, appreciate it, Jim, as always.

[09:10:02]

A lot of news, obviously, we're covering.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

HILL: Not just in Asia this morning, but, of course, also out of Russia and Ukraine.

New this morning, the first Russian soldier to stand trial for war crimes in Ukraine found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. Twenty-one-year-old Sergeant Vadim Shishimarin was found guilty of shooting and killing a civilian, a 62-year-old man. It happened in the Sumy region during the early days of Russia's invasion.

SCIUTTO: CNN's Melissa Bell is in Kyiv.

Melissa, this is the first in, frankly, a number of planned war crimes trials involving Russian forces there. Do we expect more of this coming soon? How many, in fact?

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we do. And Ukrainian prosecutors have been extremely clear that they want to move swiftly ahead with Ukrainian justice in the context of their civilian courts, even as the war continues in order to send a strong message.

Now, as that sentence was read out, 21-year-old Vadim Shishimarin visibly bowing his head. This was the maximum he could have received. Bad news for him. During that 50 minutes, nearly an hour, that the judge spent reading out the verdict and the sentencing, and remember that everyone had to stand during this reading out, going to great lengths, I think, to explain that the verdict was being given in accordance with Ukrainian law, which is that the judge has ruled that Vadim Shishimarin is guilty of premeditated murder in violation of the customs and rules of war.

But that is the most interesting thing about this trial. In a civilian court, a trial ruling on what a soldier has done during a war, even as that war continues. Have a listen to what the prosecutor had to say just after that hearing came to an end today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDRIY SUNYUK, UKRAINIAN PROSECUTOR (through translator): I think that all other law enforcement agencies will move along the path we have traveled. This will be a good example for other occupiers who may not yet be on our territory but are planning to come, or those who are here now and plan to stay and fight, or maybe they will think that it's time to leave here for their own territory.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BELL: So justice being served for that unarmed civilian who died on the fourth day of the war. But an important message as well to those Russian troops still fighting on the ground, Jim.

SCIUTTO: Melissa Bell, thanks so much.

Well, right now the Biden administration is working to distribute some 35 tons of baby formula, part of an effort to address a nationwide shortage, which is ongoing. Important to note, the first shipment will not go to stores. It's for babies who cannot tolerate the protein in cow's milk. Those babies prioritized because, of course, critical medical needs.

HILL: CNN's senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us this morning from London.

So, Elizabeth, what more can we expect here in terms of shipment and easing that shortage?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: So, Erica, we're expecting another shipment this coming week, just in the next few days. And that will total out the equivalent of 1.5 million bottles of formula.

So let's take a look at some of those details.

So, 1.5 million 8-ounce bottles will be brought in, or the equivalent of that, in two different flights. The first flight already left Sunday with hypoallergenic formula. And as you mentioned, that's going to go to hospitals, pharmacies, doctors. It will be interesting to see how that flow works, how that actually gets to the families. Also, a second flight expected in coming days with more hypoallergenic formula.

So, there's another side to this, or another effort that's being made, and that's part of the Defense Production Act. And so what that is, is the federal government has stepped in and said, you know what, ingredients that can be used for a whole variety of things, we want to prioritize infant formula. So, what they're saying here is that things like corn syrup, certain proteins need to be prioritized for infant formula.

Now, we want to be clear-eyed about this. These are all steps that are hopefully going to go in the right direction. But 1.5 million bottles are prioritizing formula -- prioritizing ingredients for formula. It's not going to change things today, tomorrow, the next day, for every parent, for all parents. They are still going to be showing up at stores and seeing shelves that are not full. It could take many weeks to get out of this.

Erica. Jim.

HILL: Important developments. But as you point out too, step one at this point.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

HILL: Elizabeth, appreciate it. Thank you.

COHEN: Thanks. Thanks.

SCIUTTO: Yes. And so many failures along the way.

Still to come this hour, former Vice President Pence is in Georgia today campaigning for incumbent Governor Brian Kemp, not David Perdue, the candidate supported by the man he served under, former President Trump.

And, this morning, "The New York Times" says Pence may be laying the groundwork for a run against Trump potentially in 2024. We will be live in Atlanta next.

HILL: Plus, President Biden says this morning he doesn't believe monkeypox is as risky as Covid, with more than 100 confirmed cases in 12 countries around the world.

[09:15:04]

We'll tell you what you need to know this morning.

And the Biden administration explored tapping a rarely used emergency diesel reserve to ease the spike in diesel prices. How that could affect what you pay at the pump. That's ahead.

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HILL: Voters in five states head to polls tomorrow to vote in primary elections. A spotlight firmly focused on Georgia with a slate of races that will, hopefully, shed some light on the direction of the GOP, but also set up critical general election contents in that key battleground state.

SCIUTTO: Georgia's Republican gubernatorial primary will test the power of endorsements once again as incumbent Governor Brian Kemp takes on a Trump-backed candidate in the former GOP Senator David Perdue.

[09:20:02]

CNN's Eva McKend joins us now from Atlanta.

Listen, Eva, right now, if the polls stand, Kemp's going to win this race, right, but what are the larger implications here?

EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER: Well, it certainly appears so. You know, after Perdue was essentially coaxed into running, he made the election lie the focal point of his race. And it just was not enough to overcome the power of incumbency that we have seen with this current governor.

He is supported not only by the Republican establishment in this state and across the -- but across the country. Former Vice President Mike Pence will campaign for him today while former President Trump phoning it in for Perdue in a call-in rally this evening.

HILL: Eva, I think we're having some technical issues. I'm not sure if you can hear me, Eva, but if you can, looking at the Democrat side, Stacey Abrams, of course, running unopposed in the Democratic gubernatorial primary. I know that you actually spoke with her over the weekend. What more are we hearing? What did she tell you?

MCKEND: Well, Erica, if there is anyone that can find the votes in this state, it is Stacey Abrams, who has worked for years to build up the Democratic establishment in this state, to get more marginalized groups to the ballot box. And so even though she is running uncontested, there is a lot of energy here. We are seeing record breaking numbers with the early vote. And I asked her about this. You know, the progressives, organizers in this state, lots of concerns about the voting law signed by Kemp last year, calling that law racist. Well, I asked her how -- if she would still characterize that law as racist in the wake of so many Republicans and Democrats coming out in this early vote period.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STACEY ABRAMS (D), CANDIDATE FOR GEORGIA GOVERNOR: But we have to remember that voter suppression isn't about stopping every voter. It's about blocking and impeding those voters who are considered inconvenient. The moral equivalent of saying that voter turnout diffuses or disproves voter suppression is like saying that more people getting in the water means there are no longer any sharks.

MCKEND: But, specifically, was it a racist law?

ABRAMS: We believe that these laws were designed to respond to the turnout that we saw in 2020, 2021. And that was namely turnout among people of color, young people, and communities that were disadvantaged. And so I continue to be deeply concerned about who the targets are and who will be undermined.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKEND: So, less action on the Democratic side here on the ground because Abrams is running uncontested.

But Kemp already focusing on Abrams heavily, mentioning her a dozen times at a campaign event over the weekend.

Erica. Jim.

SCIUTTO: Goodness. Quite a race to watch, among many.

Eva McKend, thanks so much.

Of course, CNN will be watching it very closely.

Well, here's another reason to watch. "The New York Times" is reporting this morning that former Vice President Pence is aiming to use that Georgia primary to reintroduce himself to voters, ahead of what, the 2024 presidential election.

Joining us now to discuss, new reporting, is Jonathan Martin. He's a national political correspondent for "The New York Times," as well as a CNN political analyst.

So, Jonathan, I'm curious, reintroduce -- Pence reintroduce himself to Georgia voters and to some degree, I imagine, national Republican voters. Is that reintroduce to lay the groundwork to run, even against Trump?

JONATHAN MARTIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST (via telephone): Hey, Jim. Thanks for having me.

Yes, pretty clearly Pence wants to at least keep the option open of running in 2024. And he's, you know, methodically going about creating some distance with Trump. He's (INAUDIBLE) Trump by name and sort of talking about their differences when it comes to January 6th. He very pointedly went to Charlottesville, Virginia, and visited the memorial to Heather Heyer, who, of course, was killed during the white supremacist riot there in 2017, which Trump caught a lot of grief over his equivalency there that summer of '17.

And now Pence is showing up outside Atlanta tonight to do effectively a kind of preemptive victory lap with Brian Kemp and sort of a poke in the eye of Donald Trump, who, of course, tried to take out Kemp. So, it all adds up to I think Pence looks for some space between he and Trump, to at least keep the option open of running in '24.

What strikes me, though, here is I asked Pence myself this directly. I said, will you run if Trump is also in the race? And he would not rule that out.

HILL: So, wouldn't rule it out, which is important. I know in your story the -- a spokesperson for the former president, I'm paraphrasing here, basically pushing back saying that, you know, Mike Pence would be nowhere if it weren't for the former president, and touting Donald Trump's record in races up until now, which makes it all the more interesting, as you point out, that we are going to see Mike Pence in this sort of, you know, pre-emptive victory lap tonight.

[09:25:14]

MARTIN: Right. Yes, no. What was striking about the response from the Trump people in my story is, you know, not subtle at all. Basically, belittling Pence, saying Trump rescued his career in 2016 and Pence is now straining for relevance by joining Brian Kemp in Georgia. It's sort of a blistering rebuke from President Trump toward his own vice president.

This will tell you everything about the state of their relationship. I would just add, (INAUDIBLE) personal privilege out, I have a book out now, "This Will Not Pass," that goes into the Pence (INAUDIBLE) Trump (INAUDIBLE) at great length, guys.

SCIUTTO: Is there any precedent for this, for a former VP to challenge the president that he served under?

MARTIN: No, it's a good question. Yes. No, I think -- no, I -- it's a really good question. It's hard to think of something in modern times. The most recent example that immediately comes to mind would be when Teddy Roosevelt ran on the bold moose, you know, party line against Taft in 1912. And, of course, they had both served as president previously as Republicans. So, I -- but more recently it's hard to imagine a sort of modern president/vice president squaring off for the nomination. We also haven't had an 80-year-old president looking at a potential re-election himself. So, these are uncharted waters here.

SCIUTTO: Yes, no question.

HILL: Yes, in so many ways. Not just in terms of potential presidential race match-ups, but across the board.

Jonathan Martin, great to have you with us this morning. Thanks.

MARTIN: Thanks, guys. Appreciate it.

HILL: Up next, President Biden shifting his warning about monkeypox as another possible case is now being investigated in the U.S. Those new details ahead.

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[09:30:00]