Return to Transcripts main page

Connect the World

Boris Johnson to Humanity: Grow Up; China Promises to stop Building Coal-Fired Plants Abroad; United States to Donate 500 Million COVID Doses to Lower-Income Countries; Joe Biden: Donating $350 Plus to help Distribute Vaccines Worldwide; Brazil's Health Minister Tests Positive for COVID-19; UK PM Boris Johnson Addresses Fallout from U.S.-UK-Australia Deal. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired September 22, 2021 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:00:00]

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN, Abu Dhabi. This is "Connect the World" with Becky Anderson.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: World leaders call for decisive action on the climate crisis but do the pledges stacks up to a

cleaner, safer world? I'm Becky Anderson. Hello and welcome back to "Connect the World".

They are taken to the podium for another day at the United Nations in New York. And there have been some rare positive news on one of the most

pressing issues of our time the climate crisis. On Tuesday, China, one of the world's top polluters, surprised everyone by announcing that it would

stop funding coal fired plants abroad.

President Xi Jinping also told the General Assembly that China would shift its financial support to green and low carbon energy. Earlier, U.S.

President Joe Biden has pledged to double America's contribution to help poor countries switch to cleaner fuels.

Well, Beijing getting a lot of praise for its new coal policy. But does it go far enough? Well, CNN Beijing Bureau Chief Steven Jiang takes a look.

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: That one line announcement from President Xi Jinping is indeed encouraging news and has been welcomed by

experts as well as the UN Secretary General. And it's likely going to provide some momentum going into that very important UN Climate Change

Conference in Glasgow in November.

Now, this is a big deal, because before this announcement, China was the only major funder of coal projects overseas left. And with this new policy,

it could potentially shutter dozens of such projects in 20 developing countries around the world. And that's something a lot of people have been

waiting for.

And it's obviously sending a very strong signal to the international community and the global economy. But the devil is always in the details

and details are lacking here because we don't know when this policy will kick in. And it's going to apply to both private funding as well as public

funding.

And the most important issue here is we still don't know if and when China's going to stop building new coal fired power plants domestically,

and start shutting down old ones? Now remember, last year alone, according to experts, China actually added as much new coal power as what they have

just announced to potentially council overseas.

So that's the level of coal consumption and production in this country, which still heavily relies on fossil fuels to power its economy, with coal

accounting for almost 60 percent of its energy mix.

And this contradiction, of course has often been highlighted by both experts and officials from other governments, including the U.S. Climate

Envoy, John Kerry, who was here recently telling us that it was simply counterintuitive and counterproductive for China to continue this building

spree of new coal fired power plants while insisting they were going to stick to what they were very ambitious climate goals, including becoming

carbon neutral before 2016.

So we do expect Beijing to be under growing pressure not only from Washington, but also other governments to do something on the domestic

front about coal in the coming weeks and months? Steven Jiang, CNN, Beijing.

ANDERSON: Well, when it comes to climate change, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is putting it simply grow up. That's what he plans to tell

the UN General Assembly in the coming hours according to his office. He calls that upcoming Glasgow conferences Steven mentioned a "Critical

turning point".

He says humanity must show that we are capable of taking responsibility for the destruction we are not doing not just to our planet, but to ourselves.

Well, a pretty stark assessment there. CNN's Phil Black is in London with more we do expect to hear from the British Prime Minister at the UN GA

today. What more do we know about what he is likely to say?

PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Becky, he has been tough on talking to climate all week in the U.S. His general message so far, really has been it

is time to act otherwise history will judge us very harshly.

Tonight more of the same we are told a mix of hectoring and attempted persuasion through the power of an elaborate metaphor where he will

essentially say that our attitude towards the climate up until this point has been adolescence that we've been behaving like a teenager with a

misguided sense of our own mortality.

It is time to stop making poor life choices and stand up take responsibility show leadership. There's urgency to what he is saying

because of this looming deadline. The Glasgow COP 26 Climate Conference is imminent and at the moment, based upon the existing pledges that have been

made and the information that we have so far.

There is good reason to think that it is looming as a failure on Prime Minister Johnson's watch because he'll be leading these negotiations and by

two key measures. We're not close to getting there.

[11:05:00]

BLACK: First the individual pledges and commitments those countries make in order to reduce emissions and ensure that global warming does not increase

beyond 1.5 degrees above pre industrial levels. A recent UN report card suggested that we are nowhere near achieving that goal.

And the other important one is about building goodwill and indeed about fairness in the international community. And that is the willingness of

rich countries to give aid money to poor countries to help them deal with the consequences of climate change a problem that they did not create. But

those wealthy countries certainly got rich in the process of creating.

Again, the goal there the long standing goal $100 billion a year that's been going on for a long time now, we've never got there, and it does not

look at the moment like that is going to be achieved either. So for these reasons, Boris Johnson is speaking with this sense of urgency, this blunt

language that he hopes will help build momentum and rally some sort of outcome that can be called a success at the end of this conference.

But he said - as he says, it'll be very clear at the end, the pledges, the numbers, and we'll all be there in writing, either the numbers will add up

or they won't, either the world is about to take steps that will avoid the worst impacts of climate change, or it isn't. And he's trying to get the

world.

ANDERSON: Oh, we just lost those shots. That is Phil Black on the story for you. Well, for a few people are as well positioned to talk about all of

this as David King he is the Director of the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at Oxford University and Former Chief Scientist to the UK

Government joining me today from Cambridge?

It is good to have you so sir. Climate experts describing China's announcement as a bold commitment but I wonder whether you believe that it

really is? We crunched the numbers and frankly, China's coal projects in places like Vietnam, South Africa and others tiny compared to its intention

to bank roll coal fired power stations at home.

We got no detail from the Chinese president as to how these commitments will be enacted. Is this really the sort of bold climate commitment the

world is seeking from Beijing at this point?

DAVID KING, FORMER CHIEF SCIENTIST TO UK GOVERNMENT: Well, I'm going to say something very different from what you're implying, by your question. I can

say that China has invested more in renewable energy and the new nuclear power stations to avoid the use of coal and oil. It's invested more in

electric vehicles than the rest of the world put together.

We've just got to be very, very careful about saying that China is not doing anything. China has done considerably more than most countries,

including the United States. What we tend to forget, is that the Chinese economy has been growing at 12 percent a year for very many years. And now

it's slowed down to six to 8 percent a year.

But even at that level, the increased demand for energy year on year is enormous. Now, I do believe that the Chinese government is totally

committed to action on climate change. I've been working with countries around the world over the last 20 years. And in particular with China

because of the importance that they - the important role they play with emissions.

I do believe that they are very serious about achieving their net zero projects. And I believe they will achieve it more quickly than many other

countries, China when it makes an announcement that they will do something they do achieve it earlier. Many, many countries fought behind their

promises.

So I don't quite agree with this. I think for example, China is a very big source of funds for developing parts of the world. And a considerable

amount of money has been going in from around the world on coal fired power station building.

Now, China is following in particular South Korea and Japan in ending the flow of cash to foreign coal projects. This is got to be welcomed and not

turned around and say but you're not doing enough domestically.

I think that the fact is a good proportion of coal fired power stations in in China are now operating only at 50 percent of time because of renewable

energy systems overtaking together with nuclear. But the new coal fired power stations are being built in those regions of the country more distant

from Beijing and Shanghai, where they are behind in the production of electricity --

[11:10:00]

ANDERSON: And you're making some extremely good points as I would expect you to make. And you are absolutely right to point out the investment in

renewables and try to really take the lead on that and this investment that they will stop effectively in countries around the world.

They say they are committed to switching into renewables, which has to be good news. The point though, is this, isn't it, the governments must agree

to end the use of coal period to avoid the worst ravages of climate crisis, as it were, and that's not my quote. That's Alok Sharma, who will host on

behalf of the British Government COP 26 at the beginning of November.

A few months back, I interviewed Chuka Umunna, who heads Environmental Social and Corporate Governance at JP Morgan, an organization as you will

be no - known by some as the dirty fossil fuel bank effect, its legacy of investment in fossil fuels. Have a listen to what he told me back in I

think it was July.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHUKA UMUNNA, HEAD OF ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, GOVERNMENT PACTICE, JP MORGAN CHASE: there won't be any fossil fuels. I don't believe that's a world that

we're going to end up in in the Paris Agreement, which is what we've aligned, you know, efforts to envisage. What is - which is envisaged is

bringing down overall greenhouse gas emissions, not just carbon emissions but greenhouse gas emissions, so that we can keep temperature reductions to

a minute to temperature reduction, to get it to the 1.5 degree maximum rise.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: OK. That's Chuka's view. What's your view? So do you share the view that coal should be just withdrawn period, as it were and if not, why

not as we face this climate crisis?

KING: Absolutely. I think - I think there is no way in which the global economy can continue to be based on coal, oil and gas going forward in

time. I think what I was worried about was pointing the finger at China. I mean, for example, the biggest consumer of coal today is probably India,

and India is increasing coal usage year on year considerably more than China.

And I just don't think it's healthy for the United States, and Britain and other countries to point the finger at China, because what we now have in

the run up to COP 26, in Glasgow, is the first time the possibility has arisen where we get China, the European Union, United States, chaired by

Britain in this meeting, to make commitments on climate change, that are fully enable us to manage the problems that we're faced with.

And these problems are as IPCC's latest report -- some are worse than anyone has yet understood. I mean, what they're saying is sea levels will

rise eventually, by 20 meters because of what is already happening irreversibly, at 1.25 degrees centigrade above the pre-industrial level,

even 1.5 is too far.

Now until countries understand the importance of managing this future, we're going to see even by 2050 countries like Vietnam, cities like

Jakarta, Calcutta, Mumbai, going underwater so frequently, they'll be unlivable.

Now, really, I'm talking about 30 years from now. So we've just got to rethink the whole thing. And I don't think pointing the finger is right,

that's my main point. At the same time, I think we've really got to see that the European Union, together with China and the United States, do take

the world forward because with leadership from those three, frankly, the rest of the world can follow.

And it is so important that we all focus on this at this point in time. We're running short of time, not only up to COP 26, but to deal with the

problem. And I'm just going to say what we do, and what we prepare to do over the next five years, will determine the future of humanity for the

next millennia. So it's a crisis of proportions --

ANDERSON: --enormous proportions yet and your analysis and insight is extremely valuable. Sir we'll have you back. Thank you very much indeed for

joining us.

KING: Thanks.

ANDERSON: Folks you're watching "Connect the World". We are doing what it says on the TIN from our Middle East Programming Hub here in Abu Dhabi.

[11:15:00]

ANDERSON: Still ahead, the Taliban's push for representation at the United Nations General Assembly who they are nominating to be UN Ambassador. Plus,

in the wake of a catastrophic COVID crisis at home, Brazil's Health Minister announces he has tested positive in New York at the UN GA.

And British Prime Minister Boris Johnson never want to mince his words has some frank advice for his French friends who are upset about what is been a

controversial submarine deal more on that after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Well all right, Joe Biden in the states making a big announcement on COVID vaccines for global distribution let's listen in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: As we're the arsenal for democracy during World War II, we've already shipped nearly 160 million

doses to 100 countries, more than every other country has donated combined. America's donations of a half a billion Pfizer vaccines through COVAX that

I've announced before the G7 Summit in June have already begun to ship.

Today, I'm announcing another historic commitment. The United States is buying another half billion doses of Pfizer to donate to low and middle

income countries around the world. This is another half billion doses that will all be shipped by this time next year. And it brings our total

commitment to have donated vaccines, over 1.1 billion vaccines to be donated.

Put another way, for every one shot we've administered to date in America, we have now committed to do three shots to the rest of the world. I want to

thank Pfizer and its CEO and Chairman Albert. Albert has been a good friend and had been helpful. They've been and continue to be partners in the

leader in this fight.

And the United States is leading the world on vaccination donations. We need as we're doing that we need other high income countries to deliver on

their own ambitious vaccine donations and pledges. That's why today we're launching the EU/U.S. vaccine partnership to work more closely together and

with our partners and expanding global vaccinations.

And as we do so, we should unite around the world on a few principles that we commit to donating, not selling, donating, not selling doses too low and

lower income countries and that their donations come with no political strings attached. And then we support COVAX as the main distributor for

sharing W.H.O. approved vaccines.

[11:20:00]

BIDEN: And then we fight vaccine, disinformation and exercise transparency to build vital public trust in these life-saving tools. It's also important

that we are working toward common goals and targets so that we can measure our progress and hold ourselves and each other accountable.

Secretary of State Blinken will be convening foreign ministers later this year to check on our collective progress. And I propose that we come

together for a second high level virtual summit in the first quarter of 2022 to help gauge our progress and keep our efforts fully aligned.

Another goal is dramatically boosting global and regional vaccine manufacturing capacity; enhancing transparency so that vaccine production

and distribution is predictable and coordinated. In fact, an important part of the reason the United States is able to make these big historic donation

is because we've worked with U.S. vaccine manufacturers to accelerate the manufacturing rate and production.

And now we're working quickly to scale up vaccine manufacturing in other countries around the world so they can manufacture as well. We're working

with partner nations, pharmaceutical companies and other manufacturers to increase their own capacity and capability to produce and manufacture safe

and highly effective vaccines in their own countries.

For example, our Quad partnership with India, Japan, and Australia is on track to produce at least 1 billion vaccine doses in India to boost the

global supply by the end of 2022. And we're providing financing and helping strengthen manufacturing in South Africa and produce more than 500 million

doses of J&J in Africa for Africa next year.

Next, we also know from experience that getting those vaccines in the people's arms may be the hardest logistical challenge we faced. That's why

we need to significantly step up our investment, and helping countries get shots in arms.

Today, the United States is also announcing that we're providing an additional $370 million to support and administering these shots and

delivery globally. And we will be providing more than $380 million to assist in the Global Vaccine Alliance GAVI to further facilitate vaccine

distribution in regions in the greatest - with the greatest need.

And while vaccinating the world is the ultimate solution to COVID-19, we know that we have to act to save lives now. That's why the United States

are providing nearly $1.4 billion to reduce COVID-19 deaths and mitigate transmission through bulk oxygen support, expanded testing, and

strengthening healthcare systems and more.

And we're going to help all of us build back better by supporting the establishment of financial mechanism for global health security, to simply

stay at to prepare for the next pandemic. Because there will be a next time we all know that. Vice President Harris will be speaking more on this issue

later today.

And finally, I want to acknowledge the leaders from the private sector, philanthropy and civil society, we're here today, governments can do a lot.

But we cannot do everything on our own. We've asked our non-governmental partners to take up the call for new actions that will solve the core

challenge of making vaccines available to everyone everywhere, solving the oxygen availability, crisis, financing, health, security, and more.

And I'm grateful - I'm grateful for their leadership. And let me close by with what I made clear yesterday at the UN. We can do this. This is within

our capacity. We know what needs to be done. We just have to make the choice to do it. Now, the leaders on the screen that I see here today, I

know they've made that choice.

And I think they know we can do this. And I promise you the United States will continue to lead will continue to drive historic commitments in

vaccine donations. 1.1 billion and counting so we can defeat COVID-19 together. And we'll continue to invest in creating a future of true global

health security for all people.

That is a big, big goal I have we have we should have. And we're going to lead with the power of our example. And we're not going to stop but the

only way to get this done is for every one everywhere is for all of us to step up, which I'm confident you will.

[11:25:00]

BIDEN: And now I'd like to turn this over to Ambassador Thomas Greenfield in the United Nations. And I want to thank everybody on the screen I can

see here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: That a virtual summit, Joe Biden announcing the U.S. will donate a second half a billion COVID vaccine doses to be distributed globally by

this time next year. His announcement comes as he calls on world leaders to join the U.S. in the fight to end the pandemic and follows his speech at

the UN on Tuesday that he alluded to there during which he said the world needed to provide the political will to end this crisis.

Meantime, the Taliban wants a seat and a voice at the United Nations General Assembly. They've nominated Spokesman Suhail Shaheen to replace the

Ambassador who served under the ousted Afghan government. The UN Credentials Committee is now considering the Taliban's request as we

understand it, though it is highly unlikely any action will be taken during this week of what is high level debate.

International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson is in Afghanistan connecting us once again, from Kabul. And you have been discussing this request

locally with key stakeholders in this new Taliban government. Who have you been speaking to and what have they told you?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, I was speaking with Anas Haqqani, whose brother is the Interior Minister Sirajuddin

Haqqani; you know who has a $10 million FBI bounty on his head for connections to Al Qaeda.

And what we heard from Anas Haqqani is very clearly the Taliban feel their war with America is over, that they want to have a diplomatic relationship

with the United States from the rest of the world, and by nominating Suhail Shaheen to as Ambassador to the UN, they really feel that they're putting

the ball in the UN and the international community is caught right now, on the issue of their acceptance and the unfreezing of all those financial

assets, Afghan assets that will come one day, they hope under the control of the Taliban government so that they can run the economy in this country

and keep it out of essentially financial and humanitarian collapse.

The key question, of course, is, will they compromise on the issues that President Biden has put at the forefront, women's issues, rights for women,

political rights, economic rights, social rights, all of those? And the answer we got from Anas Haqqani today is that is not in keeping with

Afghanistan's traditional values, and therefore they will not be backing down on the role that they will be giving to women and society here.

So it seems at the moment over the issue of international financial assets. There is, if you will, a standoff, but it's a diplomatic standoff, and that

was Anas Haqqani's on his point. This is diplomacy now and this is how they want to move forward, Becky.

ANDERSON: And as you've been speaking, we are just getting news from the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations to this point. Linda Thomas-

Greenfield has told my colleague and your colleagues CNN's Christiane Amanpour, that the Taliban will not be recognized until they earn it. And

she doubts the group's UN accreditation will come this week more on Christiane show's Amanpour later today.

Nic, I know you went back to Bagram Air Base over two months after the U.S. left pretty much overnight. What did you find?

ROBERTSON: Yes, Becky, this is a massive airfield where the runway almost two miles long. That was a massive asset for U.S. diplomats and the

military of course, in Afghanistan. When we were in Baghdad, I expected the Taliban to be using this as a base to be making some significant use out of

it. What we discovered when we went in, it's deserted.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON (voice over): Behind Bagram's gates, a wasteland, military hardware abandoned.

ROBERTSON (on camera): It's like driving through a ghost town here completely deserted the odd Taliban vehicle and everything just the way

that it was.

ROBERTSON (voice over): But eerily different a mini city hospital shops cafes, restaurants, power plant.

ROBERTSON (on camera): This was Route Disney the main road through the base. Those are the hangars at the side of the runway over here.

ROBERTSON (voice over): Where presidents and defense chiefs once landed America's multi-billion dollar Afghan hub is in the Taliban's hands. Its

dark secrets are being revealed.

ROBERTSON (on camera): There are the handcuffs for the pilgrims.

[11:30:00]

ROBERTSON (voice over): Backgrounds jail once feared by the Taliban that the U.S. handed to Afghan security forces in 2014, vast, sprawling and

trashed.

ROBERTSON (on camera): Prisoners identification covers his face. This is an ID photograph I'm looking at of a prisoner here just lying on the ground.

ROBERTSON (voice over): The Taliban's victory freed the prisoners. Not all of them were Taliban. They want us to see the harsh conditions.

ROBERTSON (on camera): They're confused about how to find their way around this place. They really don't know where to go again.

ROBERTSON (voice over): The way the prisoners got out.

ROBERTSON (on camera): This is the cages inside here. These are the cages, huge cages. They've just been left as they are. Look at this. Take a look.

Take a look. Prisoner's food this bread is still hanging on the plate here. This looks like the place. So putting shackles on handcuffs food here. How

many prisoners in here? How many?

ROBERTSON (voice over): Thousands, he tells me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The prisoner's kit.

ROBERTSON (on camera): Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And they got out in behind.

ROBERTSON (on camera): Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And they didn't take it.

ROBERTSON (on camera): Yes. So this is everyone shoes hanging here blankets, towels, books, Quran. Phone numbers scribbled on the wall. You

really get an idea of just how many people were crammed in these cells, one mattress, another one, another one, another one.

Looks like at least 30 in each of these wire mesh cells look, conditions in here were so tight. The prisoners are hanging their possessions and there's

not much in this bag hanging them from these little ropes from the way a cage and this was it, this piece of mattress. That was a personal space.

ROBERTSON (voice over): Some prisoners were locked up here for years. And like Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, infamous for torture.

ROBERTSON (on camera): So we've passed one cage to three number 4, 5, 6, 7 cages I can see here.

ROBERTSON (voice over): What we don't realize until later this cavernous, cellblock just one of many.

ROBERTSON (on camera): And when you look at all with now, how do you feel about the situation for the people that were held here?

ROBERTSON (voice over): It was harsh, he says, they were beaten, there was torture. The U.S. Department of Defense said it investigated all credible

allegations of abuse by its soldiers. Some were convicted.

ROBERTSON (on camera): So here are the rules. No throwing or assaulting guards, no fighting, no escaping, no damaging the self no disobedience, you

will not touch my gods. No spitting in my house. Those are the rules.

ROBERTSON (voice over): We're not the only ones getting a look. The Taliban are bringing their friends in wandering on the top of the cages too.

ROBERTSON (on camera): What do you think so?

ROBERTSON (voice over): It should be destroyed, he says. So brutal, people can't use it again.

ROBERTSON (on camera): This is a staircase to the platform above the cells. And when you get up here, you get a sense of the sheer scale of this

detention facility. How many people must have been in here, just huge? This is where they say the guards patrol to they could look down in the

different cells. They spread it on the prisoners.

ROBERTSON (voice over): The Taliban commander says the guards use water to break up fights will keep the prisoners awake at night.

ROBERTSON (on camera): What I find a little surprising is that everyone here has come to look; some of the guards here are familiar with this. But

none of them seem angry, angry at us at least. And that's something I would have expected. Do you want revenge for this?

ROBERTSON (voice over): We forced the Americans out he says that's revenge. The other Talib says, but it doesn't mean we'll forget them.

ROBERTSON (on camera): Can you shine a light on this we can just have a look in here.

ROBERTSON (voice over): Room after room, documents scattered.

ROBERTSON (on camera): And over here a board with all the prisoners numbers, look --

ROBERTSON (voice over): The - of an occupation in overdrive years and years of jailing Afghans.

ROBERTSON (on camera): Look at this; this must have been the control room look at all the LCD monitors around the wall here.

ROBERTSON (voice over): Around the corner of the psychiatric ward.

ROBERTSON (on camera): It's a Medical Center, but it's still got cages inside smaller cages. Yes. OK, so showing us here the isolation so I don't

know if you can see if you put your camera right next to the edge on it with this torch shining in, the isolation cells.

ROBERTSON (voice over): The writing on the wall tells us two prisoners crammed in here.

ROBERTSON (on camera): And then there's this net, which I can't figure out what it's for. Unless it's for putting on somebody to restrain them, flying

on the floor.

[11:35:00]

ROBERTSON (voice over): What is clear here, individual trauma, collective anger and from what we've been told an unpaid score to settle with America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: And that's Nic Robertson reporting. Well, reminder our top story this hour our world leaders taken to the stage at the United Nations

General Assembly, the British Prime Minister and the King of Saudi Arabia are among those at the podium for today's sessions.

While this hour on the sidelines of the event, the U.S. president hosting a virtual summit on COVID-19 the emphasis on encouraging vaccinations

globally he has said that the U.S. will donate an extra half a billion COVID vaccine doses to the developing world.

Well, let's stay on the topic of the U.N. G.A and connect you to a troubling development there. Brazil's health minister says he has tested

positive for COVID- 19 and will isolate in New York for 14 days.

CNN Brazil was the first to report this. The minister had been attending the U.N. meeting with the President Jair Bolsonaro, who has said he refuses

to get vaccinated. Shasta Darlington is in San Paolo. And is it clear at this point whether other delegates other members of that delegation,

possibly including the president are now going to have to isolate as well?

SHASTA DARLINGTON, JOURNALIST: Well, Becky, what we do know is that the other members of the Brazilian delegation tested negative for the virus.

And some have canceled their participation in U.N. meetings due to the risk of infecting members from other countries.

We of course know that Queiroga was in the U.N. assembly hall yesterday during Brazilian President Bolsonaro's opening speech and he's actually

been at Bolsonaro side for much of the visit.

He, Queiroga was fully vaccinated with the Chinese made Corona vaccine. However, he says that he's asymptomatic, he's tested positive. So we don't

really know how long he's been infectious and we'll just have to wait and see if anyone else eventually tests positive.

Unfortunately, we also know that even after the news broke out about his health minister, Bolsonaro posted a video of himself on social media last

night greeting and shaking the hands of supporters in New York without wearing a mask.

Here in Brazil, the Brazilian health agency and visa has recommended that the rest of the delegates self-isolate once they return. But again, it's

not clear who is going to follow those recommendations, Becky.

ANDERSON: Shasta Darlington on the story as it - there as it's sorry, as it's there in New York, thinking about something completely different as I

need to take a break. Let's do that back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:40:00]

ANDERSON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to address the U.N. General Assembly in the coming hours. But it's what he said earlier today

that is getting attention. Mr. Johnson was in Washington meeting with congressional leaders.

Afterwards, reporters asked him about France's anger at his country's deal with the U.S. to make nuclear powered submarines for Australia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I just think it's time for some of our dearest friends around the world to, you know, - a grip about all this

and don't we want a break because this is fundamentally a great step forward for global security.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Get a grip, he says to --. Well, CNN has just learned that the U.S. President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron will release

a joint communique, after the two spoke by phone today.

CNN's Kylie Atwood reporting, their message will contain some acknowledgement of mismanaged communications in the run up to what's known

as Arqus deal that is, according to a French diplomat.

Let's get to Cyril Vanier who is in Paris for you at this hour mismanagement of communications that is how we are expecting this spat to

be described perspective from Paris, please, if you will.

CYRIL VANIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, look, the French set a pretty high bar, in fact, scratch that a very high bar ahead of this phone call with

Joe Biden, because they set out essentially a list of what they want to hear from Joe Biden in this phone call.

They want an acknowledgment that he mishandled the communications with France by not warning them about this alliance that was going to torpedo

their nuclear their submarine deal that had been years in the making.

That's number one, they wanted an acknowledgement, which is a quasi- apology, coming from the world's most powerful man. Hence why I say they set a very high bar ahead of this phone call. Number two, the French want

an explanation of why it was that they were cut out of a significant cooperation deal in the strategic part of the world.

And number three and this is perhaps the most important thing, and we really don't know where that stands at the moment. They want actions, not

words, but actions that will allow them to once again trust the U.S. partner. That's what they say.

And that's the price that the French say they are putting on renewed trust with their U.S. partner. Now according to this French diplomat who has told

CNN that there should be some acknowledgement of mishandling. It seems that U.S. is going to give the French some of what they want.

But what about those actions, what is it the U.S. can say to France? What concrete steps can it take to show friends that it's still that it is

involving France in this part of the world that we don't have an answer to Becky.

ANDERSON: Yes. All right. Well, we'll leave it there. And just to close out, this part of the show with another quote from the UK Prime Minister,

although I will paraphrase this. He says nobody is trying to shoulder anybody out of any deal. And I re-quote what we said, ahead of Cyril, get a

grip, he says. That's it from us, back tomorrow.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END