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CNN International: Ties Between the U.S. and China at Their Worst in Decades; Zelenskyy Defends Decision to Keep Ukrainian Forces in Bakhmut; Israeli Raids in West Bank Killed Six Palestinians, Including Shooting Suspect. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired March 08, 2023 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Bianca Nobilo.

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Max Foster. If you're just joining us, let me bring you up today with the latest stories.

Officials in Matamoras, Mexico, are searching for the suspects who killed two of the four kidnapped Americans. Two survivors were found alive, and are now back in the U.S. A Mexican was also killed by gunfire during their kidnapping.

The acting chief of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration will appear before a Senate committee hearing in just a few hours. Senators want to know about the agency's efforts to reform how it certifies new airplanes after fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 killed more than 300 people.

NOBILO: The White House has approved arms sales to two of its major Indo Pacific allies, Japan and Australia, amid growing tension with China. Ties between the superpowers are at their worst in decades, and fled even further this week when China accused the U.S. of trying to contain its development. At Now, the U.S. says is trying to dial back the animosity, as CNN's Phil Mattingly explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The U.S. officials were very closely watching the comments from China's President Xi Jinping, from the foreign minister over the course of 48 hours. But they appear, at least initially, determined not to engage in a back and forth.

However, there is no question the very direct comments, the very direct rhetoric coming from both President Xi and the Chinese foreign minister were noticed and seemed intentional. However, when I asked White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre what the potential intent was, what U.S. officials are thinking. She made clear that they weren't going to weigh in on what they thought the Chinese leaders were actually doing, and that their position -- their really approach up to this point, and the approach of President Biden haven't shifted at all. Take a listen. KARINE JEAN-PIERRE, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The presidents approach to China has not changed. And again, we've been very clear, we do not seek conflict. And we do not want conflict. What we're seeking is competition. And we've been very clear about that these past two years. The president will always defend American interests, as you all know. But he has been clear, we want -- we need to keep open lines of communication.

MATTINGLY: Now, the idea that the bilateral relationship between the U.S. and China is at a very tense moment is certainly not a new one. It has been really that case throughout the course of President Biden's time in office. And he has constantly pointed to China as a critical competitor to the U.S. And really, a central component of his framing of democracy versus autocracy.

And that is only been exacerbated in recent weeks, with the Chinese spy balloon that Biden ordered shot down over the United States. With a back and forth that has continued over issues like technology and what the U.S. is trying to do in terms of export controls and sanctions. And most, recently the warning to China's, very overt warnings from U.S. officials about their insistence that they've picked up intelligence that China may be considering providing lethal arms to Russia.

Certainly, that is not put the relationship in any better of a position over the course of the last several weeks. And to some degree, it has certainly put it in a worse place.

[04:35:00]

However, U.S. officials maintain that last point made by Jean-Pierre, that what they want more than anybody else at this point in time is just to maintain open lines of communication. In fact, President Biden himself said he wants to have a discussion with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at some point. Now, aides have made clear behind the scenes that that discussion, that potential phone call or video conference has not actually been scheduled. There were no conversations about that taking place.

However, it underscored that Biden wanted to send a message, that he wants communication to continue, including at the leader-to-leader level. Obviously, over the course of the last several days, it seems the Chinese are moving in a different direction. But U.S. officials, for their part, at least at this moment in time, not willing to follow that route, wanting to try and maintain some semblance of dynamic they've been trying to establish in the wake of the sit-down between the two leaders late last year.

Phil Mattingly, CNN, the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: During an exclusive interview with CNN, the U.S. Ambassador to Japan and former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel addressed the increasingly hostile dialogue and urged China to tone it down.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAHM EMANUEL, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN: China is going to have to realize if you want to be a respected -- which is what they want -- leader of the world, you have to actually respect the people here interlocking with. You cannot constantly have one hammer. That is -- they have had a confrontation or near confrontation with multiple countries in the region, consistently.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: A U.S. Congressional hearing is set to take place today on the origins of COVID-19. A prevailing theory was that infected animals in China past the virus onto humans. But now some government agencies in the U.S. are questioning this. In an exclusive interview, Dr. Anthony Fauci spoke to CNN about the potential theories.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, FORMER DIRECTOR, U.S. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: They're talking about information that they have that we don't have privy to. So, we don't really know.

I don't think there is really a correct and verifiable answer to your question. It's just still remains unknown at this particular point. There are two theories, as we're all familiar with now. One is a lab leak theory, the other is that it was a natural occurrence from an animal spillover. The one thing is we have to keep an open mind about this until there's definitive evidence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Well, recently both the FBI and the U.S. Department of Energy have indicated the virus was a result of a lab leak in Wuhan, China.

The Ukrainian military says its forces have been fighting off dozens of Russian attacks in and around the battered city of Bakhmut in just the past day.

NOBILO: Russia says its forces are making gains, and now the head of the Wagner Mercenary Group claims the entire eastern part of Bakhmut is under its control. Though CNN can't independently verify that claim. Russia's defense ministry says a victory in the city will not lead to further advances.

FOSTER: What a state of that city. There is a concern for Ukraine and president at that Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who spoke with CNN about this decision to continue defending Bakhmut.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: I want to start with the battle for Bakhmut. Ukraine has put up a tremendous fight and inflicted massive losses on the Russian side. But in recent days, Russian forces have made some critical gains there. Why have you decided not to withdraw from Bakhmut? PRES. VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINE (through translator): We understand what Russia wants to achieve there. Russia needs at least some victory, a small victory, even by ruining everything in Bakhmut, just killing every civilian there. They need to put their little flag on top of that to show their society.

It's not a victory for them. It's more like, you know, like to support -- to mobilize their society in order to create this idea of they're such a powerful army. For us it's such a different, this is tactical for us. We understand that after Bakhmut, they could go further. They could go to Kramatorsk, to Slovyansk. It would be an open road for the Russian after Bakhmut to other towns in Ukraine in the Donetsk direction, in the east of Ukraine. That's why our guys are standing there.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: CNN's Salma Abdelaziz is following all of these developments and she joins us now here in London. Salma, obviously we've been hearing about Bakhmut for so many months now. And it seems -- and we've heard the sentiment as well from some members of the Ukrainian military, that if they can just hang on for a few more weeks or months, until they get this more advanced weaponry, the Leopard tanks, the longer-range missiles, that might give them the best opportunities to push Russia back. But what are the chances of?

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SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think it's extremely difficult to imagine that Ukraine can hold on to Bakhmut for much longer. But we've had many presidents in this conflict, of course. What we know as of this morning is we have this audio message from Yevgeny Prigozhin -- who is of course head of the Wagner Mercenary Group. The group that is really spearheading this attack, this fight in Bakhmut. In that audio message he claims that the east of the city has now been taken by Russian forces.

And that makes sense, sort of jives with the video that we saw released yesterday -- which I just want to pull up for you. And it shows tanks and members of the Wagner Mercenary Group putting their flag up on this monument that is in the eastern part of the city. That's been geolocated by CNN.

Now, Ukraine, its military, has also given an update this morning. They say they repelled around 100 attacks by Russian forces. And they say these near constant attacks continue. But they're still holding that line of resistance.

But I want to break down a little bit what President Zelenskyy says to our Wolf Blitzer in that interview about the importance of this. That evening he concedes -- President Zelenskyy concedes that it doesn't have much strategic tactical value for Russia, but it's a symbolic win. But he does talk about the possibility of it giving an open road that Bakhmut be used as a launching pad to push further into the country. Now military analysts will tell you, that's unlikely. Even if Russia

is able to take Bakhmut, it makes very little difference on the ground, because of just how much they've lost in the months-long war that it's taken to take this one city. I mean, it's really mind- boggling the devastation. Thousands of troops killed on both sides. NATO says for everyone Ukrainian soldier killed five Russian troops were killed. The city largely decimated or destroyed, so homes, businesses, all flattened really.

And you have this wasteland that's being fought over. And the military lost in that, you have to think about the weapons that have been depleted over six months. All of that means is that, yes, President Putin might be able to declare a win if they take Bakhmut, but it's very unlikely that that win could turn to something more.

NOBILO: Salma Abdelaziz thank you.

FOSTER: Be sure to turn in for Wolf Blitzer's exclusive interview with Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskyy. It airs later today at 9 p.m. Eastern or 10 a.m. Thursday in Hong Kong, only on CNN.

NOBILO: Israel is cracking down on Hamas in two West Bank towns. We are live in Jerusalem with details on who they're targeting and why.

[04:45:00]

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NOBILO: Violent protests have erupted in Georgia, after the country's Parliament approved a draft bill of requiring certain groups to register as foreign agents. Police used water cannon, tear gas, and stunned grenades on thousands of people opposed to the measure. Georgia's interior ministry says 66 people have been arrested.

FOSTER: The bill, would force groups like charities and news organizations, to register with the government if more than 20 percent of the funding comes from overseas. Protesters compare it to the law Russia uses to stifle the freedom of press and expression.

NOBILO: And they have been referring to it, the protesters, as a Russian law. There's concern that this is part of an authoritarian backslide in Georgia that will be used specifically to crack down on dissent, which is how protesters have viewed the application of the law in Russia.

FOSTER: Unions in France are calling for at least two more days of protests over the coming week. This, following record-breaking demonstrations on Tuesday over the government's proposed pension reforms and the raising of the retirement age from 62 to 64.

NOBILO: Some workers are still striking today, with further disruptions expected in a number of sectors. More than a million people nation wide took part in Tuesday's protests. The government says that pension reform is necessary to tackle a funding deficit, but the legislation has angered workers at a time when living costs are rising. FOSTER: Israeli security forces raided the Jenin refugee camp in

occupied West Bank on Tuesday, targeting the Palestine government who killed two Israeli settler brothers. That man was killed, they say, along with five others.

NOBILO: An IDF official says that soldiers surrounded the suspect's house, came under fire, and respond with shoulder fired missiles.

FOSTER: Elliott Gotkine is live this hour in Jerusalem. The tensions continue, Elliott.

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: They do, Max. And this was another raid in the daytime. We've usually been saying that these are quite rare. But this is at least the third one so far this year. So, they seem to be coming increasingly common.

What happened in Janine, as you, say the IDF, the Israeli Defense Forces, saying they were targeting, in their words, a Hamas terrorist operative. The man that they say killed those two Israeli settler brothers on February the 26th. And then in the gun battle that ensued, a further five Palestinians were killed.

Now Hamas, the military group that of course controls the Gaza Strip, it has subsequently said, yes, this man not only was a member of theirs, but was indeed responsible for killing those two Israeli brothers on February 26th. But they also hail the other five Palestinians killed in Jenin yesterday, as in its words, fighter martyrs.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for his part, hailed the operation and warned once again in his words, whoever harms us will pay the price. We've subsequently also heard from the U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East peace process. He has expressed further concerns about the escalating violence. He has said that he's also condemned settler violence against Palestinians, which we saw in the wake of those two Israeli brothers being killed, when settlers went on the rampage in that same village of Huwara, and also condemning Palestinian attacks against Israelis.

The State Department spokesman, Ned Price, for his part said that Israel has legitimate right to defend its people and its territory against all forms of aggression, including those from terrorist groups. But he also called for a de-escalation.

And I suppose what a lot of people are doing is trying to remind Israel and the Palestinians of the commitments or the undertaking they made, in this meeting they had of the Jordanian Red Sea Port of Aqaba, just the other week in order to de-escalate tensions. But that does not seem to be happening right now -- Max.

FOSTER: OK, Elliott, thank you for doing that for us from Jerusalem.

Now Michelle Obama revealing her emotional response to the inauguration of former President Donald Trump. Just ahead, what had the former first lady in tears.

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FOSTER: Millions of people are in India and around the world are celebrating Holi today. The festival of love, color, and spring is one of the most joyous celebrations of the year. Look at that scene. It has its roots in Hinduism. But other groups celebrated as well.

FOSTER: People take to the streets to drench each other in clouds of colored powder and buckets of water. There's also singing, dancing and of course, lots of food. In some parts of India communities begin the festivities by lighting bonfires the night before.

FOSTER: They're not going very far -- are they -- in that scene.

The Hershey candy company has announced two new dairy-free products. One is a vegan version of its popular Reese's peanut butter cups. The other is a chocolate Hershey bar with almonds and sea salt.

NOBILO: In our confectionary news segment that we like to bring you. And instead of dairy, oats will be used to create a milk chocolate flavor. The new Reese's will be available in the U.S. later this month and the vegan Hershey bar comes out in April.

FOSTER: Brilliant if it tastes good.

NOBILO: Yes, I mean, yes.

FOSTER: Now to an unsettling new study on the toll stress takes on your body and on your mind. According to research published in JAMA Network Open, people with elevated stress levels were 37 percent more likely to have poor cognition.

NOBILO: Gosh, that means they can have difficulty remembering or concentrating or perhaps even reading words on a teleprompter, or even learning new things.

[04:55:00]

The study also found people with elevated stress levels were more likely to have uncontrolled cardiovascular risk factors and poor lifestyle factors. Now this --

FOSTER: Oh, my goodness, it's all ringing bells.

NOBILO: It does all make sense though, because anxiety, you know, when it increases your cortisol, your body is essentially focused on panic rather than remembering. And makes you sleep worse, which obviously helps you to remember thing when you sleep well, which is why people should chill out, meditate.

FOSTER: Chill out, just chill out, really.

NOBILO: Deep breathe.

FOSTER: Meanwhile -- NOBILO: Uncontrollable sobbing. That's what Michelle Obama said

happened in the moments after the inauguration of former U.S. President Donald Trump. The former first lady revealed how she really felt on that day and leaving the White House in a new podcast.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHELLE OBAMA, THE LIGHT PODCAST: There are tears, there was that emotion. But then to sit on that stage and watch the opposite of what we represented on display. There is no diversity. There is no color on that stage. There was no reflection of the broader sense of America. I cried for 30 minutes straight, uncontrollable sobbing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Obama also spoke about the size of the crowd at the inauguration, countering claims made by Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: You get on Marine One and you take your last flight off, flying over the Capitol, where there weren't that many people there. We saw it, by the way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: The podcast audio is part of the former first ladies tour for her new book, "The Light We Carry." Posters for which are all over London I noticed.

NOBILO: Are they? I have actually I saw the taxi this morning.

FOSTER: Thanks for joining us here on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Max Foster.

NOBILO: And I'm Bianca Nobilo. "EARLY START" is up next right here on CNN.

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