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Secretary Antony Blinken Reaffirms U.S. Support for Ukraine; Protests in Tbilisi After Lawmakers Pass Controversial Bill; IDF Claims It Struck U.N. School Used by Hamas in Gaza; Defense Begins Cross-Examination of Key Witness Michael Cohen; Biden Hikes Tariffs on $18B in Imports from China; Indonesian Flooding Survivor Shares Story. Aired 12-12:45a ET

Aired May 15, 2024 - 00:00   ET

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

[00:00:30]

JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Well, I'm John Vause. Ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: I have come to Ukraine with a message. You are not alone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Well, not now and for how long? U.S. secretary of state travels to Ukraine as U.S. military assistance slowly reaches Ukrainian troops on the frontlines.

Hundreds of mass police clashed with protesters outside Georgia's parliament after lawmakers approved a Kremlin-style foreign influence law which critics say will be used to crack down on free speech.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're not competing. It's not competition. It's cheating.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: And the Biden administration hits Chinese made electric vehicles with a 100 percent tariff, increasing the risk of a trade war with Beijing.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with John Vause.

VAUSE: We begin with recent gains by Russian forces in the north of Ukraine, which has been repeatedly hit from the air including with glide bombs, which use a guidance system and wings to glide for extended distances. The bombs are launched from Russian airspace, but Ukraine's air defense systems do not have the capability to intercept glide bombs, and Ukraine cannot use U.S. anti-aircraft weapons due to restrictions imposed by the White House. Authorities in Kharkiv say at least 21 people were wounded, including

three children in one glide bomb attack. Apartment blocks, a school, a shopping center, other buildings were damaged in the strikes. Nearly 8,000 people have been evacuated from Kharkiv in recent days as Russian forces ramp up their cross-border attacks, ceasing towns and villages near the northern frontlines. Meantime, the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken continues his visit to Kyiv, where he's once again reaffirming Washington's support after U.S. took months to approve a $60 billion military aid package.

Blinken will meet with Ukraine's foreign minister in the coming hours. Earlier he sat down with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday discussing the war and the new military aid package.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLINKEN: I have come to Ukraine with a message. You are not alone. The United States has been by your side from day one. We are with you today. And we will stay by your side until Ukraine's security, its sovereignty, its ability to choose his own path, is guaranteed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Matthew Schmidt is associate professor of national security at the University of New Haven. He's also former professor of Strategic and Operational Planning at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.

It's good to see you. Welcome back.

MATTHEW SCHMIDT, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF NATIONAL SECURITY, UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAVEN: Good to see you, John. It's great to be here.

VAUSE: OK. So Blinken travelled to Kyiv, specifically to tell Ukrainians they're not alone, which seems to replace the old message from the U.S. that U.S. support will be there for as long as it takes. Would it be more accurate, more honest perhaps, if Blinken's message to Ukrainians this time was U.S. support for as long as we can?

SCHMIDT: I think Blinken's message is other parts of the American system are telling you, we might not be here forever, but I'm telling you and the president is telling you that we're going to be here as long as we can. And importantly I think that we're building structures to make sure that much of the American support will be here after (INAUDIBLE) if that indeed happens.

VAUSE: Yes, so talk about that sort of structural support which is being built into the system when it comes to, you know, things like military intelligence and support for Ukraine, absence the financial assistance.

SCHMIDT: So there in the background are bilateral agreements that are being worked out right now. They're similar to the one with United Kingdom that's already been signed. And they specify specific types of weapons, specific types of training, timelines for these sorts of things, even emergency responses showed Russia reinvaded some future point and these kinds of things are specific and they're designed to have the force of treaties in order to draw in American support and commit America to support Ukraine, you know, beyond any particular administration.

VAUSE: So he's a little more now from Antony Blinken and the hey, we're back speech, which he delivered in Kyiv. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLINKEN: Some Ukrainians may be wondering whether you can count on America to sustain its commitment. The $60 billion aid package that was approved by our Congress with overwhelming support across both political parties in both Houses of Congress I think demonstrates that you can.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[00:05:02]

VAUSE: Isn't it a little disingenuous to use a funding bill with Republicans in Congress delayed for months while playing petty politics as an example of bipartisan support for Ukraine?

SCHMIDT: I understand what you're saying, but I would think that actually no, right? There was overwhelming support but the system allows for a small and vocal minority to upend that overwhelming majority, which is what happened. And he's emphasizing here, of course, the moral support in the political system, while de- emphasizing the fact that it's pretty easy to obstruct that moral support from actually delivering.

VAUSE: Well, Presidents Zelenskyy was overtly grateful to the U.S. secretary of state for that recent funding bill which passed. But then he went on to ask for more. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Our defense, the biggest deficits for us. Really we need today two Patriots for Kharkiv, for Kharkiv region, because they are -- the people are under attack, civilians, and worse everybody. They are under Russian missiles.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: I'm pretty certain that Zelenskyy hates, you know, coming out to every world leader with, you know, begging for assistance. But the reality is, you know, with Russia's economy now on a war footing and weapons production is a national priority for Moscow, the more Ukraine will need assistance from the West. Again, raising that question of capacity in Europe and the United States to meet that demand and the political will to do so. Is it there?

SCHMIDT: Zelenskyy is a war time leader that suffers from not being able to control, right, his own weapons production, his own ammunition production, which are key to winning any kind of war. And so as much as he hates getting up and putting out the hat and asked people for handouts, he understands that that's what his job is. And asking for a couple of Patriot batteries for Kharkiv, right, a city of two million people, in order to defend those civilians, is I think a pretty easy ask, right? These aren't offensive weapons, these are the kinds of things that should be quickly supported and delivered.

VAUSE: Well, after a long day of meetings and high-level diplomacy, Blinken decided to unwind by taking to the stage at a basement music bow in Kyiv. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLINKEN: They're fighting not just for Ukraine but for the free world. And the free world is with you, too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: I think he'll win battle of the bands. But is this a good look for Blinken? And, you know, I'm not referring to the dad jeans and the button down shirt, you know.

SCHMIDT: I think it's OK. I mean, I understand people who think that it's, you know, potentially inappropriate to do these kinds of things during wartime. But I've been to Kyiv in wartime and I can tell you that people are in any way sick of talking about the war. And this kind of thing, however cheesy, is the kind of thing that speaks to the regular population that says, hey, you know, Anthony Blinken, is a regular guy, right, who plays guitar, however well.

And he cares, right? This isn't just some kind of high level diplomatic talk that's going on. It's someone who's having a beer with other people in Kyiv, playing a few chords and connecting. And that's the kind of thing that makes it human and it's that humanization that makes a commitment believable.

VAUSE: I wonder if it was more than one beer. It seems there may have been several.

Matthew Schmidt, thank you, sir. Good to see you as always.

SCHMIDT: You too.

VAUSE: Mass police have clashed with thousands of protesters outside Georgia's parliament. One of the largest demonstrations the former Soviet republic has seen since gaining independence. They gathered there in anger over a new Kremlin-style law, the foreign influence law, which was passed by parliament, saying that that is a law based on a Kremlin-style law which is aimed at cracking down on dissent as well as freedom of the press.

The bill requires organizations receiving more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad to register as foreign agents or face massive fines. Scuffles broke out in parliament while the bill is under debate. Well, after it passed, it now goes to the president. She says she will veto it. But parliament can override that veto with a simple majority.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SALOME ZOURABICHVILI, GEORGIAN PRESIDENT: So there are many, many concerns. But the way and the place where we can reverse all of this is the elections in October. That's very close. 26th of October. And we have to use this mobilization of the society and this consolidation of the political parties to go and win those elections because that's the European way. It's not overthrowing governments. It's winning in the elections.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Georgia's president is from a different party than the one which controls parliament, which explains differences.

CNN's Clare Sebastian has more now on what brought the former Soviet republic to this pivotal moment.

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(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Storming the barricades, protesters in the Georgian capital refusing to accept their weeks-long battle could be lost.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They can't scare us. They can do anything to make us go away. We are going to stay here and fight.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are not Russia. We are not Belarus. We'll not allow anyone to brand us as foreign agents. We will resist.

SEBASTIAN: Protesters face down a wall of riot police pushing them back just hours after opposition and government faced off in parliament.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): You are the Russian regime. You are the illegitimate Russian regime.

EKA SEPASHVILI, GEORGIAN MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, GEORGIAN DREAM (through translator): It's double standards and the hypocrisy of the opposition.

SEBASTIAN: Georgia's pro-European majority has tasted success. Scenes like this last year forced the government to scrap the same so-called foreign agent bill. Seen here as a replica of a repressive Russian law and a sign of Moscow's growing influence in this small post-Soviet state.

Then in March, barely three months after gaining E.U. candidate status, the Georgian government revived the law. In a rare appearance in late April, the ruling party's honorary leader, the most powerful driving force, lashing out the West.

BIDZINA IVANISHVILI, HONORARY CHAIRMAN, GEORGIAN DREAM (through translator): Despite the promises of the 2008 Bucharest Summit Georgia and Ukraine have not been accepted into NATO and have been left out to dry. All those decisions are made by the global party of war.

SEBASTIAN: As protesters grew more determined, the police response escalated. Violence widely condemned by the European Union.

In this shocking attack on May 1st, opposition leader, Levan Khabeishvili says he was deliberately targeted. His bruises are still visible.

LEVAN KHABEISHVILI, GEORGIAN OPPOSITION LEADER, UNITED NATIONAL MOVEMENT (through translator): They did not get what they wanted from me. They were filming to upload the video afterwards and to show the opposition leader in a state that would discredit me.

SEBASTIAN: And violence not the only means of intimidation. Transparency International says these posters of its local executive director appeared a few days ago outside its offices and those of other NGOs. The text reads, "Traitor and grant guzzler."

EKA GIGAURI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL GEORGIA: You are under the attack all the time so the governmental officials and even the prime minister would organize the press conference where they would single you out.

SEBASTIAN: Still, the drumbeat of opposition in Georgia grows louder. This is a country at a crossroads, E.U. making it clear if bill becomes law future membership is at serious risk.

Clare Sebastian, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: According to the Israeli military more than 100 terror targets were hit Monday as operations continue across Gaza from Jabalia in the north to Rafah in the south. Israel cites civil armed terror cells close to the Rafah crossing have also been eliminated. U.N. secretary- general, though, is calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.

Here's more now from his spokesperson.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FARHAN HAQ, DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON FOR U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: The secretary-general is appalled by the escalation of military activity in and around Rafah by the Israel Defense Forces. These developments are further impeding humanitarian access and worsening an already dire situation. At the same time, Hamas goes on firing rockets indiscriminately. Civilians must be respected and protected at all times in Rafah and elsewhere in Gaza. For people in Gaza, nowhere is safe now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: The IDF also says a Hamas war room working out of a U.N. operated school in central Gaza has been hit. They claimed it was being used by Hamas commanders, but the United Nations says it's unable to confirm the IDF claim. Meantime, two Israeli airstrikes hit a refugee camp also in the same area, killing at least 40 people, including nine children.

CNN's Paula Hancocks has details. A warning, the images you're about to see are disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dazed and bloodied, a young boy is pulled from the rubble of a four-story building. Others remain trapped under slabs of concrete after an Israeli airstrike hit this residential building in the early hours of Tuesday while people were sleeping. This mother finds her son being carried away by rescue crews. She throws herself at his lifeless body.

More than 100 displaced people were believed to be sheltering here in Nuseirat in Central Gaza. Entire families now entombed beneath the concrete debris.

This man says, my children, girls and boys, are under the rubble. My wife, my father, we were targeted while we slept. He continues his desperate search for his family.

[00:15:09]

Another man calls out his brother's name. He says he was sheltering here with his wife and four children, displaced for a fourth time. This time from Rafah.

This woman says, my brother arrived from Rafah three days ago after being forcibly displaced. We don't know where he is. His wife, his five children. They didn't have any connections to anyone.

This is how Gazans are forced to search for their loved ones. Little equipment, using their bare hands against the constant backdrop of Israeli drones overhead.

Another Israeli strike at a nearby UNRWA school caused a fire which engulfed the buildings. There, too, the displaced became the victims. U.N. staff collect human remains from the schoolyard.

The daily search for a safety that does not exist continues as hundreds of thousands leave Rafah moved on yet again by the Israeli military. Some setting up tents in cleared areas, others returning to what's left of their homes.

We are returning to our destroyed homes in Khan Younis, this man says, where there's no shelter or basic necessities. No water or electricity, or even a house to shelter in.

For the residents of Gaza, it is a constant battle to find the next meal, clean water, and a place to sleep, and a desperate hope to survive the night.

Paula Hancocks, CNN, Abu Dhabi.

(END VIDEOTAPE) VAUSE: Despite threats from President Biden to withhold offensive weapons to Israel, sources tell CNN a new $1 billion arms deal for Israel is now in the works, which will include the sale of tank ammunition, tactical vehicles, and mortar rounds. According to this U.S. source the talks are in the very early stages with no timeline yet for when Congress would be notified which lawmakers need to approve the sale of these weapons.

Well, the prosecution has called its final witness it seemed in the Donald Trump hush money payment to a porn star trial. But the defense is just getting started with Michael Cohen, as well as this spicy language. That's up next. Also how President Biden's tariff fight on an array of Chinese goods could impact American consumers and workers.

We'll have reports from Beijing just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: Well, despite use of words like Cheeto-dusted and boorish cartoon misogynist and douchebag dictator, the cross-examination of key witness, Michael Cohen at Donald Trump's criminal trial in New York seem to fall a little flat. When the defense actually had a chance to questioning Trump's former lawyer and fixer, they tried to portray him as full of hate, obsessed with his former boss, hell bent on revenge.

[00:20:02]

Before that, the prosecution, though, walked on through his decision to stop being loyal to Trump six years ago and, quote, "time to tell the truth."

CNN's Paula Reid has details. She was there in court.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Michael Cohen back on the witness stand facing tough questions from prosecutors and defense attorneys.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What do you have to say to Trump, Cohen?

REID: Trump attorney Todd Blanche came out swinging in his first question to Cohen. You went on TikTok and called me a crying little expletive just before the trial began, nodding in agreement, Cohen said, sounds like something I would say. Trying to frame the witness as motivated by revenge, Blanche questioned Cohen about something he said on his podcast in October 2020. I truly, expletive, hope Donald Trump ends up in prison.

Blanche pressed Cohen on how he continues to defy prosecutors' request to stop talking about the case. Is it fair to say prosecutors have repeatedly asked you to stop publicly commenting on this case? Yes, Cohen replied. Blanche noted that Cohen profits from his relentless attacks on Trump and on his podcast wore a shirt showing Trump behind bars. And you were encouraging people to buy it, Blanche asked. Yes, it's part of the merch store, said Cohen.

Blanche asked if on his podcast, Cohen called Trump a boorish cartoon misogynist and a Cheeto-dusted cartoon villain. That also sounds like something I said, Cohen admitted. He was then asked if he was obsessed with Trump. I wouldn't say obsessed. I admired him tremendously.

Before he faced off with Trump's attorneys, prosecutors walked Cohen through the documents at the heart of the criminal case. 11 checks he says he received totaling $420,000 after submitting 11 falsified invoices marked for legal services. Were any of those checks in fact for work during the months described in those check stubs, prosecutor asked. No, ma'am, he responded. All part of the alleged conspiracy to pay Cohen back the $130,000 in hush money he personally paid to Stormy Daniels.

He also described how his relationship with Trump unraveled as he came under federal criminal investigation and ultimately decided to break with Trump and plead guilty to multiple charges in 2018. Cohen recalled how he felt after the FBI searched his home, office and hotel room in 2018. How to describe your life being turned upside down, concerned despondent, angry? Cohen described a conversation he had with Trump after the FBI's search, the last time he says they ever spoke.

He said to me, don't worry, I'm the president of the United States. There's nothing here. Everything is going to be OK. Stay tough. You're going to be OK. Cohen said, I was scared. I wanted some reassurance that Mr. Trump had my back especially as this dealt with issues that related to him. He credited a conversation with his family, which he says convinced him to finally turn on Trump and begin telling the truth.

My wife, my daughter, my son all said to me, why are you holding onto this loyalty? What are you doing? We're supposed to be your first loyalty. Cohen said, I made a decision based again on the conversation I had with my family, that I would not lie for President Trump anymore.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

REID (on-camera): Cohen will be back on the stand Thursday, the last day of court this week. And the next week, the defense is expected to put on a few witnesses and their clients going to need to decide, does he want to take the stand? But at this point, it looks unlikely that the jury will get the case before Memorial Day.

Paula Reid, CNN, New York.

VAUSE: As promised, with us again to discuss Michael Cohen's second day of testimony is CNN legal analyst, Norm Eisen, who also served as House Judiciary special counsel in Trump's first of two impeachment trials.

Norm, as always, welcome back. Good to see you.

NORM EISEN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Thank you, John. Nice to be back. VAUSE: OK. So Trump's lead attorney from the get-go, he was at the

gate. He was ready to discredit Cohen's testimony, portraying he was a man filled with rage and anger, Trump, motivated by revenge, you know, as well as making money as a Trump critic.

Here's part of the cross-examination. Blanche, you referred to President Trump as dictator douchebag, didn't you? Cohen, sounds like something I said. Blanche, on April 23rd, you referred to President Trump when he left the courtroom, you said that he goes right into that little cage, which is where he belongs to that f-ing cage, like an animal. Cohen, I recall saying that.

Blanche asked Cohen at one point, did he call Trump a Cheeto-dusted cartoon villain. Cohen said he didn't actually remember using the phrase, but the sentiment is correct. You know, if Trump's lead attorney here were turning to some kind of gotcha moment, hoping Cohen to slip up in some way, it didn't really happen. But he did get some laughs.

EISEN: John, the defense was behind on points coming into today as we discussed yesterday. The testimony of Cohen on direct had put the prosecution over the line of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

[00:25:05]

Blanche had to land knockout punches today and he repeatedly swung and missed. The problem was that Michael Cohen was a calm, well-prepared witness who would not take the bait. He was very credible on direct, and he maintained that persona with short answers, telling the truth. I thought he bonded with the jury and Blanche did not.

Blanche got off to a very rough start and he really never budged. Cohen scored a point or two here and there, but not what he needed to do, but it's early days yet. We're going to be back on Thursday.

VAUSE: Well, also during that cross-examination, Blanche pointed to financial gain as his motivating factor, possible for Cohen. Cohen sells anti-Trump merchandise like the T-shirt he wore just last week during a podcast, which shows Donald Trump behind bars, send him to the big house, not the White House as the caption. And he's doing this despite pleas from the prosecution not to do so.

So I'm just wondering, you could see the jury. You said it just before there he seemed to bond with the jury. So what was their reaction to all these questions? Did anything actually stick, do you think?

EISEN: John, today was about a rule that we usually see in presidential politics, not in court. The expectations game. You know, before every big presidential debate, both candidates' handlers are trying to depress expectations. Well, today the expectations were very low for Michael Cohen. Throughout this trial, every witness has said something negative about Michael Cohen. The jury expected to meet someone very different than the soft-spoken, candid, remorseful, and I think credible witness that they got.

Meanwhile, Blanche was expected to launch a devastating cross- examination and when he swung and miss again and again, he was the victim of his high expectations and Cohen exceeded the low expectations. So as a result, I really don't think that Blanche inflicted damage on Mr. Cohen before the jury.

VAUSE: OK. Well, after the court adjourned for the day, Donald Trump, he did what he always does, criticized being under a gag order. And then he added this. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think we had a very -- I think a very good day in court. You see what's happening and you have to report it because I can't talk about it too much. But I think it was a very, very good day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Did he sleep through the entire day?

EISEN: You know, the old saying, John, in your dreams. So perhaps in his dreams, it was a very good day. If he had been paying attention today, he would not have thought it was a good day, quite the opposite. It was a devastating day, perhaps the most devastating moment. It was a quiet one. I noticed again and again during Cohen's final direct examination, which occupied the morning that he was simply talking to the jury and the jury had put down their pen and paper. They take notes, many of them, and was just listening to him.

And that very human encounter, which if Donald Trump's eyes have been opened, he would have perceived is an ominous sign that this jury believes Michael Cohen. If they do, and I think they do, if they do, proof beyond a reasonable doubt has been established. Now, Thursday, Todd Blanche will try to come back, reboot, reset, and knock the prosecution back out of the end zone.

VAUSE: As luck would have it, you get Wednesday off. It means no attending in court for you. But this trial does seem to be coming to a speedy end. Of course, there's still a lot more to talk about. So for the meantime, Norm Eisen. Thank you. Good to see you. Thanks for being with us.

EISEN: Thanks, John.

VAUSE: Coming up, heavy rainfall in Indonesia is causing deadly floods and landslides. When we come back, one woman's story being swept away in those floodwaters.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: Welcome back, everyone. I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

[00:31:41]

The U.S. has increased tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles to 100 percent, the largest of all tariff increases on $18 billion worth of Chinese imports, which President Biden says those tariffs are meant to counter unfair trade practices by China, especially in the E.V. market.

Here's President Joe Biden.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Prices are unfairly low, because Chinese companies don't need to worry about a profit, because the Chinese government subsidized them heavily. And Chinese -- relies on other anticompetitive tactics, as well, like forcing American companies to transfer their technology in order to do business in China.

Sometimes they just outright go through cyber-espionage and other means. And it's been a well-documented and internationally recognized. When you make tactics like these, they're not competing; it's not competition. It's cheating.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: To Beijing and CNN's Steven Jiang. He's joining us now live.

So Steven, let's just start with the 100 percent tariff on E.V.'s. That seems more preemptive than anything, given the fact that Chinese- made electric vehicles aren't really available in the U.S.

But clearly, there is some concern about dumping by China on the U.S. market.

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: That's right, John.

You know, when you look at the numbers, $18 billion, and the doubling or even tripling of the tariff rates, as you just mentioned, it seemed very eye-catching. But you just said it. On a practical level, we're not going to see any immediate major impact on bilateral trade, because that $18 billion represents only some 4 percent of Chinese imports into the U.S.

And so far, of course, the Chinese rhetoric in response to this are predictable. Strong protest, firm opposition -- firm opposition, accusing Washington of politicizing trade issues. And of course, state media saying this is how the U.S. is reacting when they can -- when the U.S. can no longer compete with China fairly and squarely on a growing number of industries, especially in green tech.

But all eyes on what Beijing would do when it comes to their promised or expected countermeasures or retaliations. Now, officials and the scholars, analysts I talked to here, they are keenly aware of the political dynamics in an election year in the U.S. So some have said this is Biden's posturing to key voters in swing states, especially union workers in the Rust Belt.

So it's -- the question is, is China going to take that into consideration when they make their move? Are their so-called counter measures going to be symbolic, as well? But I think the deeper concern here for China is whether other

economies, especially fellow G-7 members, will follow suit to do something similar. And that may actually have a bigger impact and disruptions, because the Chinese E.V., for example, has much larger footprint in the European market. And the G-7, of course, is having a summit coming up in June.

But the other thing is this latest tariff rate increase should not be viewed in a vacuum, because from the Chinese perspective, this is the latest in a series of moves made by Biden after his summit with Xi Jinping last November. We have seen more Chinese companies and institutions being added to the U.S. entity list because of their alleged ties to the Russian defense industrial base. And more U.S. export controls targeting Chinese companies like Huawei. And now these tariffs.

So from the Chinese perspective, this is how this slow stabilization about all (ph) ties appears to be shaky again. Now that, of course, going to have an impact on the overall relationship, despite these resumption of high-level talks.

[00:35:13]

So if Xi Jinping, for example, decides he no longer wants his country to be seen as a U.S. punching bag, then all of those exchanges and dialogues may be jeopardized again -- John.

VAUSE: Steven, thank you. Steven Jiang, live for us there in Beijing.

Well, at this hour, more than 130 wildfires are burning across Canada; 40 are still not contained. The Western provinces of Alberta and British Columbia seem to be the worst affected. Tens of thousands of hectares have been scorched.

One of the fires, driven by strong winds, is now approaching the town of Fort McMurray. NA number of neighborhoods have been forced to evacuate.

Fire crews were pulled from the fire lines because of safety concerns, and the battle has been from the air for the most part.

And in Indonesia, more than 50 people have died after torrential rain triggered flash floods over the weekend. The floods brought with it cold lava flow from a nearby volcano. That forced nearly 3,400 residents to evacuate.

Cold lava is a mixture of volcanic material and pebbles which flows down a volcano's slopes during wet weather.

More now from CNN's Lynda Kinkade.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT/ANCHOR (voice-over): Roza Yolanda sits on a hospital bed. She's covered in cuts and bruises head to toe. The recent college graduate tells Reuters she was at home Saturday, texting her sister about the heavy rain outside. Moments later, she heard a thundering noise.

ROZA YOLANDA, FLOOD SURVIVOR (through translator): Suddenly, the lights went out, and the water rushed in. I didn't have time to stand up, and I no longer had time to run and was just washed away by the flood.

KINKADE (voice-over): Flash floods triggered by torrential rains in Indonesia's West Sumatra province have left dozens dead and missing.

Mudslides and cold lava flow from volcanic eruptions, a mixture of rock, sand, water, and volcanic ash, adding to the level of devastation, inundating roads and sweeping away homes, trapping victims or sending them into nearby rivers.

YOLANDA (through translator): I got stuck on the road that was full of wooden materials and debris from the houses that were washed away. I got trapped by the pile of debris, and the water was not flowing anymore. And I hit the rubble and then tried to get my head out of the water, because I could feel the water flow was receding.

KINKADE (voice-over): Thousands of people have been evacuated from their flooded homes, as rescuers recover bodies and dig through the damage.

While Roza Yolanda recovers in hospital, others remain lost in the rubble.

YOLANDA (through translator): Mom, thank God, is safe, while they are still searching for my Dad.

KINKADE (voice-over): With heavy rains forecast throughout the week, the dire search for survivors continues. This, the latest fled catastrophe, as unprecedented rainfall triggers flash floods around the world.

Lynda Kinkade, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: A series of deadly heatwaves last month stretching from Gaza to the Philippines was made more intense and more likely by climate change. That's according to a report from World Weather Attribution, which found temperature spiked about 40 degrees Celsius in much of West Asia in the world's hottest April on record.

The impact was especially harsh in Gaza, where more than a million people have been displaced by war, already lacking access to clean water and adequate health care, as well as shelter.

Still to come here on CNN, a brazen and deadly ambush at a busy tollbooth in France. Gunmen free an inmate from a prison convoy in broad daylight before making their escape.

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VAUSE: A manhunt is underway in France for at least two gunmen who ambushed a prison convoy, freeing an inmate and killing two guards in the process.

Closed-circuit television shows a black SUV ramming into the prison van like that. It was waiting at a tollbooth.

The gunmen are then seen wearing hoods, carrying long rifles. All the time, other vehicles continue to pass by.

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LAURA BECCUAU, FRENCH PROSECUTOR (through translator): Our scientific and technical police laboratories will be involved in this investigation. The videos of the toll booth, those provided by witnesses, which have already been broadcast on social networks, are obviously being carefully examined.

The determination of the magistrates and investigators is and will be equal to this outburst of violence.

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VAUSE: Authorities say the 30-year-old inmate was convicted of burglary and is under investigation for a kidnapping related to a death.

Hundreds of police and armed forces have now been deployed in the search for the three men.

Well, a livestream portal between New York and Dublin, Ireland, has been temporarily closed down due to inappropriate behavior. Social media videos have shown people showing naughty bits.

The creators are now trying to find a possible solution.

The portal is a 24-hour live stream on a big circular screen installed in both cities, allowing people on both sides to see and interact with each other, halfway -- halfway across the world.

But people will do what people will do.

Buckingham Palace has revealed the first official portrait of King Charles since his coronation. He himself did the honors on Tuesday. Charles took part in four sittings for the piece over the course of two years.

The artist says he wanted to reference the history of royal portraits and the modern monarchy while showing the king's deep humanity.

reaction on social media has been kind of mixed.

I'm John Vause, back at the top of the hour for more CNN NEWSROOM. But first, please stay with us. WORLD SPORT starts after a short break. You're watching CNN. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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