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Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Assassinated; World Leaders Express Shock, Sorrow For The Death Of Longtime Japanese Leader; President Zelenskyy Says Ukraine Won't Cede Any Territory To Russia; Russia's War On Ukraine Worsening Starvation In Somalia; Remembering Abe's Economic Legacy; Japan's Prime Minister Says Attack On Abe Not Forgivable; Search Underway To Replace Boris Johnson As U.K. Prime Minister. Aired 10- 11a ET
Aired July 08, 2022 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:47]
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Eleni Giokos in Abu Dhabi.
Japan is in shock after the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. And he was fatally shot during a campaign speech in Nara, in central
Japan. Abe was airlifted to the hospital but died of excessive blood loss.
Now this is how it looked and sounded, and we must warn you, the video is disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHINZO ABE, FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF JAPAN: (Speaking in foreign language)
(GUNSHOT)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: A security can detained the suspect, shortly after the shooting and police say he is a 41-year-old man who holds hatred towards a certain group
that he thought Abe had ties to. Now, they also say he used handmade gun and admitted to the attack.
Abe served as prime minister twice stepping down in 2020 due to health reasons. Now, Will Ripley looks at his legacy and the influential role that
he played in Japanese politics up until his death.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Japan's longest serving prime minister Shinzo Abe had big dreams of a Japanese
comeback. A comeback marred by a series of setbacks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tokyo.
RIPLEY: The Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Abe's greatest achievement. Japan spent billions only to see the games postponed by the coronavirus pandemic. The
games were a cornerstone of Abe's plan to revive a struggling economy and transform Japan into a global destination.
Abe promised a brighter future, a future looking bleak after 2011's massive earthquake, tsunami and Fukushima nuclear meltdown.
Abenomics was an ambition plan to overhaul Japan's economy with stimulus and reform. It led to record-high government debt and failed to make a
lasting dent in decades of deflation. Problems made worse by Japan's aging population and shrinking workforce.
Abe also tried to strengthen Japan's military, reinterpreting the nation's pacifist constitution drafted after World War II. The move led to massive
protests in the Japanese capital. Abe's visits to a controversial war shrine angered his Asian neighbors. He was criticized for not making a new
apology at the 70th anniversary of World War II, accused of trying to rewrite Japan's brutal wartime past.
Abe began fighting for more military power during his first time as prime minister in 2006. At 52, he became Japan's youngest post-war leader.
Corruption scandals within his party caused Abe's popularity to plummet. He resigned a year later, blaming health problems.
Abe had ambition and roots in a powerful political dynasty, two former prime ministers in his family. Reelected in 2012, Abe declared, Japan is
back. He tried to raise Japan's profile on a global stage, developing allies in Europe, India and Southeast Asia, trying to mend frosty relations
with China.
Abe made history in 2016, appearing alongside former U.S. President Barack Obama in Hiroshima and later Pearl Harbor. Abe was one of the first world
leaders to form an alliance with Donald Trump, taking the U.S. president out for a hamburger in Tokyo.
Shinzo Abe leaves behind Akie, known as a vibrant and popular first lady and his wife of more than three decades.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: That was Will Ripley reporting.
Now a little bit earlier CNN national security analyst and former U.S. intelligence director James Clapper talked about possible motives for the
shooting. Listen in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES CLAPPER, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: This was a -- someone who was mentally ill which frankly is my suspicion.
[10:05:04]
I think that's a little different light, a little different aspect that if this was some sort of political act which I would find possible but less
likely given the atmosphere in Japan and the high regard among the Japanese people for former Prime Minister Abe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Well, CNN's Blake Essig joins me now from Tokyo.
Blake, and we've just heard, you know, possibilities here, you know, what was the motive? Those are the questions that are coming through and
importantly, this handmade weapon as well. At a time when people are trying to, you know, come to grips with the fact that they've lost this towering
figure. Are we getting answers to some of these questions?
BLAKE ESSIG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Eleni, just in the past hour, we've learned more about the suspect and the assassination of former
prime minister, Shinzo Abe. Police say that the suspect, the 41-year-old unemployed man has now admitted to shooting Abe. Police say that this man
went after Abe as you had mentioned because he believed that Abe was part of a group that he hated. And so this man at this point in time is being
investigated as a suspect for murder with 90 police investigators dedicated to this case.
And while a controversial figure here in Japan and around the world for some of his policies. Abe at the same time an incredibly important figure
and news of this shooting and assassination has absolutely shocked the nation. Here in Japan, in the world, in the hours following the shooting
many have taken to social media. They obviously were hoping originally that he would pull through. Some were calling for -- excuse me, calling today's
shooting a barbaric act that shakes the root of democracy, saying whether or not you agree with this political stances of violence to suppress
political stances is unacceptable.
And even just within the past 30 minutes to an hour, you have people showing up in Nara, at the spot where this assassination took place to lay
down flowers, to honor, to remember Japan's longest serving prime minister. And earlier today, during a press conference, shortly after the shooting,
current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida really encapsulated the feelings of the people here in Japan. He appeared emotional, almost to tears while
speaking to the press and said that this is not a forgivable act and that we will comprehend the situation and take appropriate measures.
Abe's brother, he's the current minister of Defense here in Japan, Nobuo Kishi, also addressed the media calling the attack an affront to democracy
and suppression of freedom of speech. And we've seen pictures of Shinzo Abe's wife, eyes looking down, staring at the ground as she entered the
hospital where her husband at the time was fighting for his life. Simply put, there's been an overwhelming sense of sadness and shock across Japan.
Really around the world, And those emotions will likely only deepen with the news that former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has died.
Now the shooting took place while Shinzo Abe was speaking at a campaign rally in the western city of Nara ahead of the Upper House election which
is set for this Sunday. Doctors treating Abe said he was bleeding profusely and that the bullet that killed him was deep enough to reach his heart. In
the end about 20 doctors were fighting to save Abe's life. They said that they faced difficulty stopping the bleeding and then it was a loss of blood
that Abe ended up dying from.
Now, the suspect, again, you talked about a minute or two ago. A man in his 40s, 41, was arrested on the spot in possession of what NHK is describing
as this handmade gun. And when you look at, it almost kind of looks like a sawed off shotgun. It's two almost metal pipes for barrels duck taped, you
know, with black duct taped together. Again, clearly not something that was purchased at a store. Definitely looking handmade.
And this is in a country, Eleni, where gun violence is almost nonexistent, making what happened today, you know, all the more tragic.
GIOKOS: Yes, I mean, incredible we just saw that the picture of that handmade weapon. And as you say, gun violence is so rare in Japan. And this
is what sort of brings up the question about politicians having the sense of accessibility to them. There's been so many questions about his security
detail and just how easy it was to get him.
Is there a concern now that there's going to be fear to the extent that politicians are going to be worried about their safety and perhaps societal
changes as well about just about how safe people are?
[10:10:04]
ESSIG: You know, Eleni, I think that, you know, as far as societal changes go, I mean, there's no question that whether you are a politician or really
anybody, you know, walking the streets at this moment of time -- I'm standing on the streets in Tokyo, I mean, look, the reality is gun
violence, you know, in Japan is almost not existent. But that being said, it absolutely enters your mind. And you have to imagine that changes will
be made as a result of what took place today.
There is no question that the former prime minister had security details. Perhaps it was a private security detail. We're still looking into that.
But, you know, they were there. It wasn't the same as you would see with perhaps a former U.S. president who will have the Secret Service, you know,
following them, providing security, you know, for the rest of their lives. You know, perhaps it's that false sense of security here in Japan because
gun violence is almost nonexistent.
I mean, to put that all into perspective, the number of annual deaths resulting from firearms hasn't reached triple digits since the year 2000 in
Japan with the number of homicides involving guns often in the single digits, and the big reason for that, according to gun control advocates is
that firearms regulations are extremely restrictive. It's incredibly difficult to get a weapon here. You have to pass a number of tests. Mental
drug test. You have to go to the range. You have to tell the police why you want to have the weapon.
So a lot of hoops that you have to jump through to even get it which is again one of the big reasons why gun violence really doesn't exist here,
Eleni.
GIOKOS: Yes. Blake, thank you so much for that update.
It is 11:00 p.m. in Tokyo. As we get more information, our teams on the ground will bring that to us in the hours to come.
Now we are getting reaction to this shocking assassinations from all corners of the globe. The Dalai Lama praised Abe as someone who lived a
meaningful life in the service of others. French President Emmanuel Macron said Abe worked to bring balance to the world. The NATO secretary general
expressed his sadness at the news calling Abe a defender of democracy and a friend.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Abe was an outstanding statesman, adding the right memory of this wonderful man will forever remain in the
hearts of all who knew him. And caretaker British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted his global leadership through uncharted times will be
remembered by many.
Now with more on the international outpouring of sadness about Abe's death, let's bring in CNN White House correspondent Jeremy Diamond and our Paula
Hancocks in Seoul for us.
Jeremy, I want to start with you. We've heard from President Biden. And Biden was vice president during some of Abe's term. And Abe of course is
revered for strengthening U.S.-Japan relations, and it's evident from the words that we heard from President Biden a short while ago.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. Prime Minister Abe was -- he became prime minister of Japan for a second time in
December of 2012, so just weeks after then President Obama, and then Vice President Biden were reelected to a second term. Abe would go on to serve
as prime minister throughout that second term of vice president's time in office -- Vice President Biden's time in office and then of course through
Donald Trump's first term in office.
And so this morning President Biden is reacting to this by saying that he is, quote, "stunned, outraged and deeply saddened," saying that -- talking
about his friend Shinzo Abe and saying that this is a tragedy for Japan and all those who knew him. He also says, quote, "Above all, he cared deeply
about the Japanese people and dedicated his life to their service. Even at the moment he was attacked, he was engaged in the work of democracy."
The president then going on to say that he extends his deepest condolences to Shinzo Abe's family. Those comments from the president a reflection of
course of the fact that Shinzo Abe was campaigning when he was assassinated by a gunman. And, you know, the outpouring of support here in the United
States clearly a reflection of the important role that Shinzo Abe had. As the U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken said this morning, taking the
U.S.-Japan relation to new heights.
And that was reflected not only in President Biden's statement, where he refers to the visits that he had with Shinzo Abe in Tokyo as well as here
in the United States. But also in the statements that we saw from former presidents Trump and Obama. Both of whom had very warm, personal
relationships with Shinzo Abe. Abe was of course the foreign leader to visit then President-elect Trump at Trump Tower New York back in 2016.
And President Obama, he referenced his visits with the Japanese prime minister to the site of Hiroshima as well as to Pearl Harbor, two landmark
moments of course in the U.S.-Japanese history.
[10:15:06]
GIOKOS: Paula, I want to bring you in here. Very powerful figure in the east but also known to some extent for taking on China. But also had frosty
relations with South Korea, specifically the previous president. Some historical issues remain.
Could you give me a sense of the response from leaders in that part of the world?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly. I mean, Eleni, he certainly had a more assertive foreign policy than some of his predecessors
and while that's encouraged, great appreciation around the world, there are always some who will not appreciate what was done. Now we have had a
response from the South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol who's extended his condolences, spoken of his shock and also said that the shooting that
killed Prime Minister Abe is an unacceptable criminal acts.
Now South Korea and Japan do have, as you say, historical issues that still have not been resolved to this day. And he is seen in some parts of
Northeast Asia as being a divisive figure. But of course on a day like today, everybody is looking to what has happened before focusing too much
on the legacy. And there is shock on what has happened.
Now the fact he did have this more expressive foreign policy, the fact that he did want to push Japan more on to the global stage, also encouraged
great friendships around the world and in other parts of Asia where you can just see that from all the comments you heard and the tweets you have from
leaders from all around the world saying not only about his political prowess or what he achieved politically, but also many of them saying he
was their friend. He was a great friend. He was the longest standing prime minister in Japan. And many former leaders and current leaders worked with
him for some time. So he did work closely with him.
Now you did mention China. He was obviously a key part of the Quad which was Australia, India, United States and Japan. A grouping of those
countries focused mostly on security but also focused on really what is seen as the increasing power and strength of China in the region. And in
the world as well. So certainly that's what we heard from, for example, Prime Minister Macron in France saying that he was able to balance issues
and a rebalancing matter. So he was seen in many different ways by many different countries.
But the overwhelming thing that we are hearing from global leaders is that he was a champion for democracy. That he did fight for the democratic
rights. And the very fact that he was pushing Japan on to this global scene is certainly one of his greatest legacies.
GIOKOS: Yes. A towering figure, absolutely. Paula --
(MISSING AUDIO)
GIOKOS: -- Donbas region. Plus the impact of this war are pushing Somalia to the brink of famine. We'll speak with our chief international
correspondent, Clarissa Ward.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:20:35]
GIOKOS: Russia is hammering the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk. Now the Ukrainian military says more than 40 towns and villagers have been
attacked as Russia pushes to take over the entire Donbas region. But after more than four months of war, neither side is backing down, Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowing Ukraine will not give up any of its territory. In Moscow President Vladimir Putin says Russia is ready to fight
the war to the bitter end. But he says that's because the West wants it that way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We have continuously heard that the West is ready to fight with us until the last
Ukrainian is left standing. This is a tragedy for the Ukrainian people. However, it seems like everything is going towards this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: All right, let's go straight to Alex Marquardt, he is in the northeastern city of Kharkiv.
Alex, we've been talking all week. We spoke, you know, during the fall of Lysychansk on Monday, basically giving Luhansk to the Russians, Donetsk now
being ravaged by these attacks. Is Ukraine's military able to continue with the fight with the resources that they have currently?
ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, they certainly said that they are but at the same time they have been and will
continue to ask for even more weaponry from the West in order to be able to push back into Luhansk which, as you mentioned, the Russians have now taken
almost total control of, and to resist the Russian push into the rest of the Donbas.
Eleni, the Russians are making very clear what their intentions are in the Donetsk region. As you noted the Ukrainian military has said that over the
past two days there have been attacks on more than 40 villages and towns. The Russians using all manner of weapons, from mortars and artillery to
rockets and air strikes. There has been some very intense fighting. The situation is very fluid.
But relatively speaking, analysts say that the scope of the Russian efforts in the past few days has been quite limited and on a smaller scale ahead of
what is expected to be a much larger Russian push into the Donetsk region to try to complete their takeover of the Donbas which has been one of the
biggest priorities since day one of President Vladimir Putin.
There are also fears up here in Kharkiv that the Russians will make a renewed push towards this city. This is Ukraine's second biggest city.
Since we've been here in the past few days we have seen quite a bit of activity. Outgoing fire from the Ukrainians. There have been thuds of
incoming strikes from the Russians. Just yesterday there was a Russian strike against a residential building, about 10 kilometers to the east of
here that according to the regional governor left three people dead and five wounded.
Eleni, we have also seen a visit, another visit I should say by President Zelenskyy to the front line. He has been doing this more and more, and he
did this today according to the president's office to a central region to the south of here where the city of Dnipro is, just to the west of Donbas.
There he met local commanders and officials.
And as you noted, Eleni, at the top, in an interview with our colleague, anchor Wolf Blitzer just yesterday, President Zelenskyy has been adamant
that Ukraine will not give up any land, that discussions over land that has been occupied by Russia will not be part of diplomatic negotiations. Now of
course all diplomacy has fallen apart. There was a little bit in the start of this war, that has completely ceased and there is no prospect, any real
prospect of diplomatic negotiations picking up anytime soon. President Zelenskyy telling CNN very firmly, this is our land.
GIOKOS: Yes. Alex, thank you so much for that insight.
Now Russia's war on Ukraine is not just taking a devastating toll on the people of Ukraine. It's also impacting some of the world's most vulnerable
places. Somalia is already in the middle of a severe drought and now the impact of the war thousands of kilometers away is pushing the country to
the brink of famine.
Chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward is in Mogadishu for us.
Clarissa, thank you so much for taking the time. Somalia is clearly collateral damage in this war, and I can't imagine what a drought
compounded by taking out critical grain supply would mean for people. Could you tell us what you're seeing?
[10:25:00]
CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Eleni, I mean, it's really pretty horrifying. This is a country that is no stranger to
hunger. There was a famine here in 2011. A quarter of a million people died then. Again in 2017, the country came perilously close to famine. At that
time, though, with strong government action, international community support, they were able to avert a catastrophe.
But now essentially, Somalia is in, you know, the eye of a perfect storm if you will. There have been four failed rainy seasons. There is the economic
downturn on the back of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the effects of the war in Ukraine, Russia's invasion, the blockade of Ukrainian wheat, rampant
inflation, soaring fuel prices, food prices, all of this is now threatening to push this country over the edge.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WARD (voice-over): On the edge of the Na'im Camp, just outside Somalia's capital, Zamzam Mohammed shows us the fresh graves of those who have died
here.
ZAMZAM MOHAMMED, CAMP ADMINISTRATOR: One, two, three.
WARD: There are 30, she says, in total. The victims of this country's record drought. As the camp administrator Mohammed is tasked with burying
the dead. From that corner to this one, she says, this line of graves is all children.
(On-camera): It must weigh on your heart to have to bury these little children.
(Voice-over): You feel such sadness when you bury a baby, she tells us. I'm a mother, and I can feel their pain as a parent.
Some 500 yards away, Nourta Ali Humey has yet to visit the graves of her three children. Severely malnourished, they died after contracting measles.
I cannot bear to go, she says. The grief I would feel.
Aid agencies warned that Somalia is marching towards another famine. Nearly half the country is hungry. Some 800,000 people have been forced from their
homes this year alone.
(On-camera): So two months ago, this camp didn't even exist. Now there are more than 870 families living here.
(Voice-over): Conditions are dire and the world's attention is elsewhere. Thousands of miles from the front lines of the war in Ukraine, the impact
of Russia's invasion is being felt here. Food and fuel prices have skyrocketed, as Russia's blockade of Ukrainian wheat threatens global
supplies.
MOHAMUD MOHAMED HASSAN, SAVE THE CHILDREN COUNTRY DIRECTOR: The wheat that is consumed in Somalia, 92 percent of it comes from Russia and Ukraine when
you put together. So the price of wheat has doubled. In some areas, you know, 150 percent increase.
WARD (on-camera): So, you had climate change, COVID. But the war in Ukraine is really threatening to push Somalia over the edge?
HASSAN: Yes. Definitely yes, yes.
WARD: And what about if the war continues in Ukraine, if that blockade remains in place, what impact will that have here?
HASSAN: I cannot imagine what will be the impact.
WARD (voice-over): The stabilization ward at the Banadir Hospital offers a glimpse of what may be to come. There are no empty beds and many
desperately sick children. Dr. Hafsa Mohamed Hassan works around the clock to keep her youngest patients alive.
(On-camera): How many years have you been working in this hospital?
DR. HAFSA MOHAMMED HASSAN, PHYSICIAN: Eight years.
WARD: Eight years.
HASSAN: Yes.
WARD: Have you ever seen so many children being brought in with malnutrition?
HASSAN: No. This is the worst situation I am seeing. And the number of the cases are increasing day by day. The hospital is very (INAUDIBLE) these
cases.
WARD: Are you overwhelmed?
HASSAN: Yes. It's overwhelming. The situation is overwhelming.
WARD (voice-over): In one bed, we meet Haradi Abdi (PH) with her 4-year-old son Mohammed (PH). I already lost three children in this drought she says
softly.
(On-camera): So you came here to save your son? How do you cope with that kind of loss, to lose three children? How do you get through the day?
(Voice-over): I can't cope with the situation, she says. I just pray my remaining children will survive.
It's a prayer shared by so many women here, one that the world has yet to hear.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WARD: Now, Eleni, one of the other challenges that aid agencies are facing here is that because the world's attention is so understandably focused, on
the conflict in Ukraine it has been very difficult for them to get that attention and get the funding that they so desperately need to try to
prevent a catastrophe here.
The U.N. says it's raised just under a third now of the total $1.46 billion they need to stop a famine and one aid worker here was telling us that if
that funding doesn't come in, if we don't see a real uptick in the coming weeks, you could be talking about certain parts of this country being in a
state of famine in the next few weeks.
[10:30:18]
Not the next few months but the next few weeks. So the stakes really couldn't be higher, Eleni.
GIOKOS: Yes, Clarissa, as you reported there, it's already a crisis mode. It's a travesty and absolutely heartbreaking. Thank you so much for
bringing us that story.
All right, just ahead, Shinzo Abe's economic legacy is so well-known, it's named after him. A look at the impact of Abenomics on the world's third
biggest economy next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: Welcome back. I'm Eleni Diokos in Abu Dhabi and we bring you the latest developing news out of Japan. We want to update you on the breaking
news we've been following all day. Japan's longest serving prime minister has died. Shinzo Abe was shot and killed during a campaign stop in the city
of Nara. Video of the incident immediately surfaced on social media.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABE: (Speaking foreign language)
(GUNSHOT)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Police arrested the suspected gunman who used a homemade gun and they say he admitted to the shooting -- for shooting the former prime
minister. Now doctors say Shinzo Abe's heart had stopped before he reached the hospital and they were unable to save him. Such assassinations are rare
in Japan where guns are tightly controlled.
Selina Wang joins us now from Beijing with the very latest.
Selina, we've heard so many condolence messages from world leaders. I want to talk about the fact that we haven't heard yet from Premiere Xi Jinping.
We've heard from the Foreign Ministry. We know that Shinzo Abe had a very sort of distinct leadership style when it came to China. He was very
assertive towards this powerhouse and unapologetically so.
SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Exactly, Eleni. And we have seen that stark contract, China's reaction to the rest of the world where you have this
rush of global leaders to express their condolences, to express their friendship with Shinzo Abe. And even though China's leader Xi Jinping had
met with Abe in person, we have not heard any official statement from China's supreme leader that we have heard from China's Foreign Ministry.
[10:35:03]
Now one of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's legacies is going to be how he paved the way for Japan's more hawkish view on China especially when it
comes to security issues. Even though he had stepped down from leadership in 2020, he still remained a towering political figure behind the scenes.
Experts tell me that he was still encouraging the current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to have that more assertive security stance when it comes to
China.
When Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, former prime minister, had taken leadership, relations between Beijing and Tokyo were incredibly frosty, and
throughout his tenure, those relationships didn't get any better. In fact critics say that they actually got worse. Core to the dispute was over the
disputed Senkaku Diaoyu islands, there were also historical wartime grievances. And Abe struggled to really improve those bilateral relations.
And after he left office he was still a very vocal critic of China. Earlier this year he urged the U.S. to abandon its policy of strategic ambiguity
when it comes to Taiwan, saying that the U.S. should commit to defending Taiwan military in the event of a Chinese attack. That of course led to
very harsh anger and backlash from Beijing. And we have seen this frosty relations not just geopolitically among leaders in Beijing but also among
the people in China.
After this horrific news came out there were hostile comments from people on Chinese social media. So hostile that you even had the former chief
editor of a state-run newspaper coming out and saying, let's put politics aside, people. Let's have compassion and empathy here for a great leader.
Also another key part of Abe's legacy was bolstering ties with the U.S. as a way to cope with this rising China, also bolstering ties across the Asia
Pacific, Indo Pacific region. He was a big proponent of the Quad alliance.
But also, Abe was a divisive figure at home. He wanted to push for stronger military. He wanted to revise Japan's pacifist constitution. He wanted to
have a more fully-fledged military in Japan. He wanted to restore the economic, the nationalistic pride. He wanted to restore that military
prowess. He cultivated these very strong ties with leaders around the world. He remained influential at home but also controversial.
GIOKOS: Yes. I mean, so many interesting points there, Selina. And you mentioned that, you know, Japan is was part of the Quad alliance. It kind
of reverberates in what Emmanuel Macron said that he put balance to the world. And it was interesting because it sounded like he was almost
referring to the fact that Shinzo Abe took this assertive stance towards China.
Is it surprising that we haven't heard from the President Xi Jinping as yet?
WANG: Well, if you consider the frosty relationship that I was just talking about, it's not entirely surprising. But we may get a statement later,
perhaps he is just waiting to choose the right words. I thought that statement you mentioned from Macron was very significant because we have
seen Japan play such an important balancing power, in Macron's words, especially when it comes to democracies.
Japan is such an important player in the Asian Pacific region as an ally to all of these different countries. This is the first -- this comes shortly
after for the first time NATO and their strategic concept labeled Chian as this security risk, as a threat to the region. This comes at a time when
the U.S., countries all around the world are leaning on Japan as their ally in the Asia Pacific region. All of that of course does not make Beijing
happy. They do not like to see that encroachment on their turf. So those frosty relations remain and we'll just have to see how this continues to
play out statement wise, and if we do hear it later in the coming days or hours from the top leader -- Eleni.
GIOKOS: Yes. Selina, and we'll touch base with you then. Thank you so much.
Now let's turn to one of Shinzo Abe's legacies. One so important it has its own moniker, like Thatcherism and Reaganomics. You'll probably remember
Abenomics. It guided the world's third biggest economy for nearly a decade, and it's complicated.
So let's bring in CNN's Anna Stewart for a closer look at one of the core pieces of Japan's Abe era.
Look, Anna, it is complicated absolutely. And for those of us that have been covering economics and finance, it was a term that we used quite a
lot. It was all about stimulating Japan out of the deflationary environment that it was in and also so many other ambitions to put Japan squarely on
the economic map. Could you break it down for us?
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, 10 years ago this is all we were talking about. This huge economic experiment from Japan to try and dig it
out of years of deflation. And it was unconventional, wasn't it? It was a real vial, throw the kitchen sink at it strategy in terms of economics.
[10:40:01]
And Abenomics had three arrows. I'm sure you'll remember them, Eleni, from 10 years ago. The first being monetary policy, low even negative interest
rates and also lots of bond buying, actually government bonds of course. Fiscal stimulus involved chucking a lot of government spending into the
economy. And structural reforms. That was trying to make a more business friendly as a country but also upping the workforce, particularly in terms
of women because Japan faces this huge issue of an aging demographic.
Now to be fair, Abenomics worked. It was a success for a few years. It eked out some more growth for Japan. It did draw a line on the many years of
deflation. So in that sense, it did work, and I have to say, Shinzo Abe, I remember him giving a keynote speech in 2019 at the World Economic Forum in
Davos. He was so proud of the fact that he added two million women into the workforce.
Did it go far enough? No. That's what most economists will tell you particularly on that third arrow. And they say he needed all -- really all
three arrows firing at force and they really fell off on structural reform side of things. But you know very recently Shinzo Abe, once he resigned as
prime minister, he was interviewed by "The Economist" only in May of this year, and he was asked what do you think your legacy will be, and he said
Abenomics.
GIOKOS: Wow. That's fascinating. I also remember that no matter how much stimulus they threw into the market or printed money, people would still
buy yen even at negative interest rates. So it's interesting to see sort of the legacy that he's going to -- where he left on the monetary policy
environment globally.
STEWART: Yes, because in some ways this was a model for other central banks, and most recently in terms of the pandemic, we've seen central banks
have negative interest rates for instance, which was so unconventional when Japan went there. And also huge QE programs. I'm not saying Japanese
pioneered QE but maybe to that extent. But in very different ways, Japan was tackling years and years of deflation whereas other countries have used
it for emergency spending purposes or emergency economic shot purposes.
I think where it's been a cautionary tale, though, is how do you exit ultraloose monetary policy? Can you exit it? Japan has struggled with that
and we can see now central banks around the world who've done it to a far lesser extent struggled to get out of that policy. So in some ways a model,
but yes, in some ways I'd say this has been a cautionary tale.
GIOKOS: Yes, definitely a legend when it came to that. So, Anna Stewart, thank you so very much.
Let's get you up to speed now on some other stories that are on our radar.
U.S. companies are still hiring at robust rates even amid fears of a recession. The government says 372,000 jobs were added in June. And you can
see hiring has been fairly steady with the unemployment rate holding at 3.6 percent.
Now following months of negotiations with lawyers, the U.S. House Select Committee investigating the Capitol insurrection is interviewing former
Trump house White House counsel. Pat Cipollone. Two sources say he was one of the few people who spent time with Trump as he watched the riot unfold
on television.
The Chinese city of Xi'an is now in another partial COVID lockdown. But before it went into effect a couple of days ago throngs of residence lined
up at a train station to flee the city. Here, you will see the video that was posted on social media. Residents there have already been through
several harsh lockdowns throughout the pandemic.
We're back after a quick break with more on the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:45:44]
GIOKOS: Police say a 41-year-old unemployed man has admitted to fatally shooting former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Abe was assassinated
while giving a campaign speech in Nara. A security team detained the shooter shortly after the attack. Now police say he holds hatred towards a
certain group he thought Abe had ties to. World leaders are expressing shock and grief Abe's death. Canada's prime minister saying the world has
lost a man of great vision.
Let's go now to Taipei, we've got CNN senior international correspondent Will Ripley joining us.
Will, we know that 90 police officers right now working on this case. We don't know much about the motive as yet. We know a little bit about this
41-year-old man. Take us through the latest.
RIPLEY: Yes, so we know that he doesn't have a job. We know that he, according to police, assembled a number of these homemade pistol like
weapons. You saw one of them in video, that was taken at the time of the shooting and broadcast on national broadcaster NHK. And it almost looks as
if it was cobbled and taped together. And yet this weapon successfully killed the most influential voice in Japanese politics. Perhaps the biggest
political name of Japan in modern history.
Not only was he the longest serving prime minister, but even after stepping down in 2020, he was elected to lead the most powerful faction of the
ruling party. He was out, you know, hitting the ground during campaigns for his party. He was giving interviews where he was speaking, you know, very
candidly about issues like Taiwan. And that Japan should defend Taiwan, and the United States should be more clear about whether it would defend Taiwan
if China were to move in.
You know, he was a hard liner when it came to North Korea, which launched a number of missiles either near Japan or even over Japan's northern island
of Hokkaido while he was prime minister. And Shinzo Abe, you know, responded talking about potential first strike capability, you know,
missiles that can actually be launched and hit targets in North Korea. He wanted the Japanese military known as the Self-Defense Force to have a more
active role globally which was a position supported by the United States but hugely controversial inside Japan.
In fact, there were protests I remember covering when I was based in Tokyo with hundreds of thousands of people outside the Japanese Diet, the
parliament building when they were trying to debate the issue of rewriting the Japanese constitution. That was probably his biggest unfulfilled goal.
Another big unfulfilled goal would be his economic policies named after him, Abenomics. That did pull Japan out of deflation but still Japan's
economy struggles with this stagnation that it's facing because of some of its business practices and also the fact that they have an aging and
shrinking population.
So there were certainly a lot of work that Shinzo Abe wanted to do that now sits unfinished. And with someone -- with the work ethic like Shinzo Abe
that would have been very, very frustrating, those close to him say, that he wasn't able to finish all of these things that he still wanted to
accomplish to make the future of Japan brighter for the next generation.
GIOKOS: Yes. Definitely a strong legacy. Will, I have to say, because we know that gun violence is so rare in Japan, one can only imagine the people
that were gathered there in Nara must have been shocked firstly at the sound. They must have perhaps not known what it was. Then we also know the
other end of the spectrum is that politicians generally are quite accessible.
I want to talk about the security detail. I want to talk about what this would mean for other politicians or perhaps for future visits of global
leaders, whether this is going to shift sort of the perception of the safety of walking in the streets of Japan.
RIPLEY: Yes, this is a nation with half the size population of the United States. It had one gun related fatality in all of 2021. Gun crime is simply
not on the national radar. People -- you can't get a gun. It's very, very difficult to get a gun without extensive background checks, you know, as I
mentioned, and so parents who would feel really, you know, safe enough to send their children to school as young as 5 or 6 years old on the subway
alone, people who walk through the streets of any Japanese city, big or small at any hour of the day and feel safe.
[10:50:07]
You know, the conversations that are happening in Japan right now, how could such a larger than life figure be taken down by a gun when probably
the people, most of the people who were at that stump speech watching Shinzo Abe speak, they wouldn't recognize the sound of a gun other than
something they have heard maybe in the movies. And now, you know, an active gun violence has struck down, you know, the politician who succeeded in
befriending Donald Trump when other world leaders couldn't do that, you know, who took him out for a hamburger and golf in Tokyo.
You know, Shinzo Abe was able to work with people on a person-to-person level. Politicians in Japan, when they're campaigning, they're out on the
streets, interacting with people face to face without any thought that they could be in danger like what we saw happened. And so yes, this could have
societal implications. The government may have to take some sort of action. We don't know exactly what yet because guns are already all but impossible
to obtain in Japan. But clearly this suspect, according to police, was able to build one.
GIOKOS: Yes. Well, absolutely a country and the world basically in shock. Thank you very much for that update.
We're going to a short break. And just ahead, Larry the Downing Street cat has seen British prime ministers come and go. Unlike the rest of us he's
watching to see who is next and we'll take you there after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: The U.K. is facing pressing questions about its next government. Chiefly who will run it now that Boris Johnson has resigned as prime
minister over a series of scandals? But he's not done yet, saying he'll stay on as caretaker PM until a new Conservative leader is chosen. And
there are plenty of people who want the job, including four members of the Cabinet whose own resignations this week sparked a mass exodus by
government officials.
Picking a new party leader could take months. The opposition Labour Party is against that. CNN's Nada Bashir joins me now, live from Downing Street.
Nadia, great to see you. What happens next and what does the leadership contest look like?
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, Eleni, there's no shortage of political ambition here in Westminster. We've already heard some
Conservative MPs throwing their hat into the ring. The first among them Suella Braverman, the attorney general. She announced her bid for
leadership live on TV even ahead of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's resignation.
And most recently, we've heard from Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat. A bit of a dark horse in this race for the Conservative Party leadership. He wrote
in an op-ed in the "Daily Telegraph" his plans to run for Conservative Party leadership, saying that Number 10 and government need a clean start.
And he believes he is the one that can deliver that. He hasn't held a Cabinet minister position before, but that actually might work in his
favor. Putting a distance between him and the past failings of Conservative governments.
But of course there are -- there is speculation swirling around a number of other key names. Chief among them the former Chancellor of the Exchequer
Rishi Sunak who of course triggered that avalanche of resignations with his bombshell resignation ahead of the prime minister's own stepping down from
his position. And minutes within that resignation came Sajid Javid, the former health secretary.
[10:55:02]
So there is still a lot of speculation. But for now, though, as you mentioned, the prime minister is still clinging on to his position as long
as he can. He plans to remain in place until a new leader is elected. Much to the disappointment of many who wanted to see an immediate end to Prime
Minister Boris Johnson's premiership. We've already seen just in the last hour or so some more ministerial appointments.
We heard from a Cabinet meeting just yesterday that the prime minister plans to continue to deliver on his agenda. The agenda that he was elected
on but he won't be making any drastic policy changes.
Now there has been some calls, as I mentioned from critics not only within his own party but also from the opposition for a new caretaker prime
minister to be installed given the fact that Boris Johnson has really lost the support of such a significant portion of his Conservative MPs. Well, we
have one minister that's calling the Education Secretary James Cleverly, he said that this won't be the case. He reiterated the prime minister's
determination to stay on until a new leader is elected. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES CLEVERLY, BRITISH CONSERVATIVE MP: Well, there is no such thing as a caretaker prime minister. The prime minister has made it clear he will
stand down from his role as party leader and prime minister when his successor is chosen. There is plenty both internationally and domestically
that we have to get on with. And ultimately, our duty from the prime minister and all of us in this and government is to focus on that primary
role that we have which is providing a service to the people of this country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASHIR: Now we heard from the deputy Labour Party leader Angela Rayner this morning speaking to British media. She says that if Prime Minister Boris
Johnson does not step down immediately and allow for a new caretaker prime minister to be put in place for the time being, then the Labour Party will
move to table a vote of confidence before the summer recess. So there clearly is mounting pressure on the prime minister, not only of course that
we saw for him to resign but for him to move aside and to allow a new leader to take on the leadership of the Conservative Party and of course at
Number 10.
GIOKOS: All right, Nadia Bashir in London for us. Thank you so very much.
We are going to a short break. More CONNECT THE WORLD continues after this. Stay with CNN.
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