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Isa Soares Tonight
President Biden And Xi Meet At G20 Summit To Cool U.S.-China Relations; Zelenskyy Visits Newly Liberated Kherson; Three College Football Players Shot And Killed At University Of Virginia Campus; Student Suspect In Custody After 3 Football Players Killed; Biden: Three-Hour Conversation With Xi "Open And Candid"; Taiwan A Major Point Of Contention As U.S., China Talk. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired November 14, 2022 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
ISA SOARES, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, the U.S. and Chinese presidents meet,
where relations stand between the two superpowers after hours of talks. Then, President Zelenskyy's surprised visit to Kherson. He is inviting
journalists to come and tell the story of Russia's brutal occupation, and CNN is there.
And then later, three college football players killed in a shooting at the University of Virginia. The suspect is in custody, and campus officials
already knew him. But first tonight, facing rapidly deteriorating relations and intensifying competition as well as distrust and sharp differences over
global issues, most notably, Taiwan.
U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, as you can see them met in Bali on Monday to really try to take down the temperature. Mr.
Biden described it as a cordial, but direct, even blunt. Just listen to how Mr. Xi spoke to the U.S. President.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
XI JINPING, PRESIDENT, CHINA, (through translator): A statesman should think about and know where to lead his country. He should also think about
and know how to get along with other countries and the wider world.
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am -- absolutely believe there's -- need not be a new cold war. We -- I have met many times with Xi
Jinping, and we were candid and clear with one another across the board.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, the two leaders discussed a range of volatile issues, including Ukraine, North Korea, climate and trade and technology, which
China warned should not be weaponized. But it was a dangerously divisive issue of Taiwan that evoked the frank discussion with both sides firmly
stating their positions. CNN's Selina Wang has that part of the story from Beijing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SELINA WANG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Touching down in Bali for a high stakes meeting between the world's two most powerful
leaders, U.S. President Joe Biden's first face-to-face meeting since taking office with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Xi, telling Biden the U.S.-China
relationship isn't meeting the world's expectations.
JINPING (through translator): I look forward to working with you, Mr. President, to bring China-U.S. relations back to the track of healthy and
stable growth.
WANG: After the meeting, Biden tells the press --
BIDEN: I do not think there's any imminent attempt on the part of China to invade Taiwan.
WANG: But despite the optimistic tone and smiles, the possibility of armed conflict still looms. Xi, just days before, wearing camouflage uniform at a
military command center in Beijing. Telling China's army to prepare for war. His visit met with excited applause from top military officials.
Beijing had stepped up pressure on self-ruled democratic Taiwan after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island in August.
Firing repeated missiles and encircling Taiwan in a practice blockade, Xi, vowing to reunify the island that China sees as a breakaway province, using
force if necessary.
BIDEN: Yes, we have a commitment to do that.
WANG: Meanwhile, Biden infuriating Beijing with his repeated comments that America would come to Taiwan's aid in the event of a Chinese invasion.
JAKE SULLIVAN, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER, UNITED STATES: Brief Taiwan --
WANG: Washington promising to brief Taiwanese officials on the outcome of the Biden-Xi meeting, angering Beijing even more.
ZHAO LIJIAN, SPOKESPERSON, FOREIGN MINISTRY, CHINA (through translator): This is truly egregious, and China firmly rejects this.
WANG: State media writing, facts show that the U.S. understanding of the red line of China-U.S. relations is far from adequate. That tense
atmosphere, a far cry from the smiles and warm handshakes during their many meetings back when Biden was vice president.
BIDEN: And I've spent more time with him than any other world leader. I know him well, he knows me.
WANG: But that personal relationship not enough to breach the chasm between the two countries. The Biden administration labeling China as
America's most consequential geopolitical challenge. Enacting sweeping restrictions that choke off China's access to advanced computer chips.
Beijing sees all of this as Washington trying to suppress its rise. As Xi aligns himself with other autocratic leaders, like Russia's Vladimir Putin.
China and the U.S. have agreed to keep lines of communication open between top officials. It could be what stops the miscalculation between the
world's superpowers from spiraling into real conflict. Selina Wang, CNN, Beijing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[14:05:00]
SOARES: Well, the meeting took place on the Indonesian island of Bali, on the sidelines of the G20 Summit. CNN's White House correspondent MJ Lee is
there for us. And MJ, as we saw there from that piece, there were handshakes, there were smiles, but clearly, there's a lot of course, of
distrust and division.
So, just talk to us about the U.S. perspective, the White House perspective of the back of this meeting. What was agreed on? What did they see eye-to-
eye on here?
MIN JUNG LEE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, I have to tell you, President Biden's tone overall after this marathon summit was a beat. He
sounded optimistic for the most part, but U.S.-China relations, which has really reached a low point recently could be mended. He said that the two
leaders had identified areas where the two countries could really work together.
Issues like climate change, like ensuring that Russia does not resort to using nuclear weapons, and then, of course, notably on the issue of Taiwan.
President Biden said that he emphasized to Xi Jinping that the U.S.' policy remains unchanged. That it continues to support the one China policy. He
also went on to tell reporters that he doesn't think there's a need for a new cold war, and also that he doesn't see an imminent threat of China
invading Taiwan.
Now, the big goal that President Biden identified in this summit was to avoid misunderstanding, sort of all across the board, between the U.S. and
China. He also said that he wants to make sure that there is an open line of communication between the two countries. And to that end, he committed
for his Secretary of State Antony Blinken, to sometime in the near future visit China to continue the conversations that started and began earlier
today, between the two leaders.
We obviously know that U.S. officials, Chinese officials, spent months and months basically trying to put this summit together. But it is going to be
a while, I think before we know for sure whether this summit will have ended up being the very beginning of improved relations between China and
the U.S.
SOARES: Indeed, MJ Lee for us there in Bali, Indonesia, thanks very much, MJ, really appreciate it. Now, Ukraine's president says that peace cannot
be achieved until the entire country is liberated from Russia. Saying, the victory in Kherson is just the first step. Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a
surprise visit, you can see there, to the newly freed city on Monday where he greeted emotional residents.
He says the situation in the region remains dangerous with mines and explosives left behind by retreating Russians. And with enemy forces camped
just on the other side of course of the Dnipro River, despite the -- Zelenskyy is urging reporters travel to Kherson and tell the city's story.
Our CNN Nic Robertson is there for us.
And Nic, you were -- you know, we have seen, thanks to your team of course, the very moving scenes out of Kherson, I believe we're probably the first
reporters on the ground in Kherson as it was being liberated. But this is still a frontline city in this war. So talk to us about the challenges for
those in Kherson, Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, it certainly is a frontline. And perhaps, this is the closest President Zelenskyy has come to
the frontline since the Russians tried to nab him or kill him in Kyiv at the very beginning of the war. He gave the real impression today that this
is just -- taking Kherson is just part of a momentum to keep moving forces forward.
And you get that impression here, because we do hear a lot of outgoing artillery across the river, which creates the impression that the advance
may well be continuing, out of sight at the moment. But there is no doubt President Zelenskyy here to try to tell the residents of the city that the
government's here to help. That the government wants to help them to help them reconnect to the rest of the country.
So, you know, even though, we're still several days now beyond the liberation, that mood, that spirit, that feeling of it and the difficulties
ahead are all there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(SOBBING)
ROBERTSON (voice-over): The joys of Kherson's liberation keep on giving. "How are you"? She says. "I survived", her friend replies. But the Russians
kicked my door in and stole everything.
(TRUMPETING)
This city, once home to more than a quarter million people is still celebrating its freedom. But beginning to count the cost of the 8-month
brutal occupation they endured. The city's phone and internet connection cut, residents crowding around soldiers' communications in desperate hope
of contacting loved ones. On their way out, the Russians crippled almost every vital service.
[14:10:00]
Electricity off and water too. This pump close to the river bank, giving water too polluted to drink. "The water stopped when the power went off",
he says. "This is the fourth day without water. But what can we do? We need to survive somehow." The Russians even felled the city's main TV
transmitter.
(on camera): They blew it up just before leaving. A final act of punishment for a population that until days earlier, they said was part of
Russia and would be forever.
(voice-over): That same message, Kherson and Russia together forever plastered on hundreds of billboards around the city is already being torn
down.
"Why"? Platon(ph) says, "because eight months of occupation is not very nice. I didn't feel very good living in fear that any moment, a car could
pull over near you and bring you to a very unpleasant place." Alexander(ph) was unlucky enough to be taken to one of those unpleasant places and shows
us around the jail he was in.
He says the Russians beat him daily. "They abused everyone, kept us hungry, used us as free labor to repair their military vehicles", he says. "They
were beating us whenever they wanted."
(on camera): This is where they say Russians killed people for simply shouting out (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) Ukraine, glory to Ukraine or
having tattoos saying the same thing. And over here, in this room, this is where they used to torture people.
(voice-over): The fire, Alexander(ph) says, started by the Russians as they left to cover up their crimes. But it is across the road in
Catarina's(ph) Church, Russia ordered brutality was perpetrated. The grave of Grigory Potemkin, fabled in history for building fake villages was
looted days before the Russians left. Father Vitali(ph) takes us into the gloomy crypt, shows us where Potemkin's coffin was stolen from.
"He lay here for 240 years through many wars", he says. "We honored him as a founder of Kherson and they took him without permission." Repairs of
souls in the city have only just begun.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON: And of course, the repairs of the souls in the city, this is what President Zelenskyy came to do today. To help people know that the
government is helping them. But also it's interesting to hear him say that he wanted to come. He had seen their energy and excitement about being
liberated, and he wanted to come so he could feel that as well.
For him to be motivated, and I think that gives you an idea of how important it is to the country, the retaking of Kherson, and how important
it is to the president, who his narrative to the nation, but his narrative to the world that they are succeeding, that they are the side that is going
to retake the territory in their country.
SOARES: Nic Robertson for us there in Kherson this evening. Thanks very much, Nic, appreciate it. Well, Democrats in the United States have defied
expectations and control of the Senate, saying a promised Republican red wave in midterm elections turned up to be, well, a tiny trickle. A Senate
race in Nevada was called over the weekend, giving Democrats the edge.
But Republicans are inching closer to control of the house. Happy for this. They have a slim majority with 19 races uncalled. Still, almost no one
predicted it would be this close. Democrats had warned that democracy itself was on the ballot, if you remember, and the Senate Majority leader
told CNN, voters understood that message loud and clear.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHUCK SCHUMER, SENATOR-ELECT FOR NEW YORK: The American people saw that democracy was at risk. They saw that there were these MAGA Republicans who
denied the election. That's one of the fundamentals of a democracy.
When you lose an election, you go -- you don't say the election was a fraud and you call it off, who either ignored violence or even encouraged it when
the MAGA Republicans did it. You know, the Republican leadership is to blame here, because they didn't push back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, let's bring in CNN's Stephen Collinson for some context on what all of this means for the next two years in Washington. Stephen, good
to see you. Look, so Democrats now controlling the Senate, Republicans likely taking the house. Of course, we're still waiting for that. But we
could be looking at a divided -- you know, Congress here. What does this mean for President Biden and his agenda? How challenging, Stephen, could
this be for him?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: I think it's going to be very difficult for the president to get any major legislation through, given the
fact that the Republicans look like they're going to control the house. And every indication that they're going to use that majority, when they get it
almost as a weapon for former President Donald Trump, who is expected to announce his 2024 campaign on Tuesday.
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And who perhaps would be taking on President Joe Biden in 2024, if he decides to run for reelection. Having said that, Senate control is hugely
important for the Democrats. It means that at least some of the Republican investigations of the White House and even the president's own son, Hunter
Biden, over his business relationships will not take place.
Although, there will be investigations in the house under a Republican majority. But it allows Biden to keep stacking the judiciary in the United
States, by nominating liberal judges to counter the conservative tilt that took place during the Trump years. So it's still very important, and hugely
significant to Democrats that they won the Senate when they weren't expected to.
SOARES: And Democrats, like you said, you know, they seem to be celebrating. They -- you know, they have the Senate better than expected.
But this -- does this in a way make Biden run in 2024 more likely, you think?
COLLINSON: I think, to start with, it does. There are a lot of people going into this election who were taking the fact that Biden had a very low
approval rating, was expected to lose both houses of Congress as a sign of weakness from the president. He can now turn around and say, look, once
again, I am actually being underestimated, I'm a much stronger candidate than everyone thought me to be.
Having said that, the president is 80 at the end of this month. The questions of his age are not going away just because the Democrats did well
in these midterm elections. So I think some of it might depend on how well Trump does, actually. If he appears --
SOARES: Yes --
COLLINSON: To be the prohibitive favorite in the Republican primary, Biden believes that he is the best placed Democrat to take on Donald Trump. If,
for example, Trump found -- and a younger candidate, perhaps like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis came to the fore, that would be quite a difficult
comparison, I think, on a presidential debate stage in 2024.
So, perhaps that would weigh into the president's considerations more. But right now, Biden is saying that he plans to run for office, but whether he
will or not is something that he's going to decide over the coming months.
SOARES: And Stephen, you hinted there that we're going to hear some sort of announcement from former President Donald Trump. What do we think we're
likely to hear? Do you think he's going to throw his hat in the ring? As you were saying or -- and critically, for our viewers around the world, is
there still love for him within the GOP for President Trump, given of course, the outcome from his candidates in these midterms?
COLLINSON: Well, every indication from Trump's camp is he's going ahead with declaring a run for the White House, which would be his third run for
the White House on Tuesday evening. It wouldn't be in character for him to accept criticism of his performance in these midterms, and then step back.
So, I think probably he is likely to go ahead.
There is still a very strong support for Trump in the Republican grassroots, but at the same time, you know, he's being blamed by many
Republican leaders for the fact that many of the candidates that he pushed were actually responsible, especially for the Dems -- for the Republicans
losing their chance to win the Senate.
That's just -- you know, In Pennsylvania, for example, the candidate he picked lost to a Democrat, when another Republican candidate might have
won. So he is being heavily criticized. At the same time, Trump has been down before. After the 2020 election, after the Capitol insurrection in
2021, he's always leveraged his strength among the Republican grassroots to rebuild his power.
And that's what he'll be trying to do in the early months of this presidential run. Logic might say that Trump -- that another candidate
apart from Trump would give Republicans --
SOARES: Yes --
COLLINSON: The best chance to win in a general election in 2024. But for many Republicans, he is an emotional choice, a vessel of their grievances
and it's almost a personality cult, if you like. So people may not be making the most logical choices when they go into the voting booth if Trump
is still a top contender come the first primaries in 2024.
SOARES: We shall see when it's announced. I know you'll stay on top of it for us, Stephen Collinson, appreciate it, thanks, Stephen --
COLLINSON: Thanks.
SOARES: And a programming note for you, CNN will host a town hall with former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence. That's happening on Wednesday night.
He will take questions from Jake Tapper in a live studio audience. It's 9:00 p.m. in New York, 2:00 a.m. Thursday here in London.
And still to come tonight, Istanbul reels from a deadly explosion. The suspect is in custody. We'll look at who Turkey is pointing fingers at.
Plus, a suspect accused of killing three people at the University of Virginia is also in custody. We'll go there live, just ahead. You are
watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:20:00]
SOARES: Turkish authorities are accusing Kurdish separatists of being behind a deadly explosion in Istanbul. Police say a Syrian national trained
by the army wing -- armed wing of the PKK is responsible for Sunday's attack. But that group is denying involvement. Six people were killed and
dozens injured in the blast on Istanbul's busiest high street.
A suspect is now in custody and funerals are being held for the victims. And Jomana Karadsheh joins us now live from Istanbul. Jomana, what more do
we know about the suspect of this hour and how this all unfolded?
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Isa, within hours of that attack in the heart of Istanbul in Istiklal Street, Turkish
authorities say that they detained this woman, a Syrian national who they say was responsible for carrying out the attack. They say that police,
security forces went through footage from 1,200 security cameras around that busy area, in different parts of Istanbul, tracking down this woman
who they say was sitting on a bench for about 14 minutes before the attack.
And then she walked away, leaving behind a bag with the explosives within a minute or two of her leaving, that -- the explosives detonated, as you
mentioned, killing six people, including two children. These are six people from three different Turkish families, who are today burying their dead.
And you've got dozens of people who are injured in this attack with several people still in intensive care at hospitals here in Istanbul.
And Isa, Turkish authorities say that they raided 21 addresses linked to this woman, more than 40 people have been also detained. They say that this
suspect entered the country illegally from northern Syria, and they accuse as you mentioned, Turkish -- Kurdish separatists groups in Syria of
providing her with the training and orders to carry out the attacks.
Something that we've heard the PKK as well as the Syrian-Kurdish fighting group, the YPG denying involvement in this attack, Isa.
SOARES: And meanwhile, Jomana, we have seen global leaders being pretty united, I think it's fair to say in condemning this brutal attack. But
Turkey's interior minister, from what I understand, has rejected a particular message of condolence. What more can you tell us about this?
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KARADSHEH: Well, the interior minister rejecting the message of condolences from the United States. Isa, again, really blaming the U.S. for
the situation here, for the support that they have provided to Syrian Kurdish fighters in northern Syria. CNN has reached out to the State
Department for comment on this. But this all goes back to the heart of the tensions between these two NATO allies.
Isa, for years, Turkey has been very unhappy. It has slammed its western NATO allies, especially the United States for the support they have been
providing. Support, funding, training, arming the Syrian Kurdish fighters from the YPG. That is part of the Syrian Democratic forces, that has been
the U.S.' main ally in the fight against ISIS in Syria.
For Turkey, the YPG, they see it as the Syrian offshoot of the separatist group, the PKK, that is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the
United States and the EU. And for years, they have been criticizing their allies for the support that they have been providing the YPG. And right
now, you've got the interior minister saying, here we go again.
That he is blaming this on U.S. support for the YPG. Again, as we mentioned earlier, both group saying --
SOARES: Yes --
KARADSHEH: They had nothing to do with this attack. But we are keeping an eye on, you know, tensions in the coming days because this has really been
a source of tension between the U.S. and Turkey for years now.
SOARES: And I know you'll stay on top of this, but I just want to turn my attention, if I could, to Iran. Because of course, our viewers will know --
our viewers in the show would know that you've been covering the protests in Iran for some seven weeks or so. I saw over the weekend, Jomana, kind of
startling figure from the NGO, Iran human rights, who say that Iranian security forces have killed at least 326 people since the start of these
protests. What are you hearing from your sources on the ground?
KARADSHEH: Well, Isa, nearly, it's about 60 days since these protests began. And we have seen this death toll continuing to rise over the past
few weeks. No one really knows how many people have been killed. No one outside Iranian government really has those figures. It's pretty impossible
for us to verify those numbers.
But we rely on NGOs and different groups that have been trying to document this brutal crackdown on the country. And as you mentioned now, they're
saying more than 300 people have been killed. The numbers could be much higher than that. That includes more than 40 children who have lost their
lives.
And over the past few weeks, we have been hearing, Isa, from different human rights organizations, from protesters on the ground, from others
saying that the security forces have been using all the kinds of brutal tactics they've used in the past, including using live ammunition against
peaceful protesters. And another really alarming development over the weekend, Isa, one protester, at least, has been sentenced to death by a
court in Iran.
This is the first sentencing that we have had since the protests began. You've got more than a 1,000 people who have been indicted, many of them
also facing these very serious charges of waging war against God and corruption on earth that carry the death penalty in Iran. So, a lot of
concern right now for those who are behind bars.
An estimated more than 14,000 people, many of them are facing what human rights groups are describing as these sham trials, these show trials taking
place in revolutionary courts that have been criticized for years, Isa, by human rights groups, by the U.S. who have sanctioned judges who sit on
these revolutionary courts.
Where they say that defendants do not get fair trials. There is no such thing as fair trials. They would tell you in a country like Iran where
these judges act as prosecutor and judge. They intimidate defendants, they don't allow them access to lawyers. And you have these rushed trials and
verdicts against political prisoners, activists, journalists and protesters.
A lot of concern as they struggle to contain this national uprising that we might be seeing more of these death sentences in the coming days, Isa.
SOARES: Jomana Karadsheh for us this evening in Istanbul in Turkey, thanks very much, Jomana, I appreciate it. And still to come tonight, an update on
this weekend's shooting at University of Virginia. Student suspect has been identified and is now in police custody. We'll bring you all those details
after a short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:30:00]
SOARES: A university or a Virginia student's now in custody after Sunday shooting at the school's main campus in Charlottesville. Police say the
student, Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., is suspected of killing three football players and injuring two other people. The school's Vice President
says he had come to the attention of its threat assessment team this autumn.
Miguel Marquez is there for us in Charlottesville, so he joins me now. So, Miguel, just bring us up-to-date here. What more are we learning about the
suspect and indeed the motive?
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, motive is very difficult if we can ever know the motive or something as horrific as this,
but here we are, yet another major American University dealing with a mass shooting on its campus. We know that this 22-year-old who is the prime
suspect now charged with three counts for now anyway of murder was on a bus that was just parked back here next to a parking lot here with other
individuals.
He was on the football team here in 2018. It's not clear that he ever played any games on the football team. And he had not been on the football
team for the last year or two, officials say, but the three that were killed and the two that were injured, they were all on the football team.
The three juniors all on the University of Virginia football team were all killed, two others are in the hospital. One is in critical condition.
Just young men, juniors here, all with their lives ahead of them. And now this. It sent a real shock of fear through the campus, those emergency
texts and emails going out throughout the night. People locked down wherever they were, in libraries, in their homes, in classes, where they
happened to be on a Sunday evening, most of them sort of winding down and getting ready for the week ahead and then this news. All too often we hear
it. Isa.
SOARES: And do we know what the school is saying? Because as we said, the school's vice president said it had come to the attention of the threat
assessment team this autumn. Do -- what does the school have to say, Miguel?
MARQUEZ: Yes, I -- look, the school is now looking into this. Their team had looked into him in an investigation this year where somebody had
reported that he had a gun. They started looking into his record. They found out that in 2021, there was a concealed weapons charge, which he
never told authorities about. That charge lone would have been enough to kick him out of school.
[14:35:04]
Somebody here on campus told police that he had told them that he had a gun. There was never any threat associated with him having a gun.
But it is not -- it is prohibited to have a gun on the UVA campus so that - - if he had a gun here, that, too, would have gotten him kicked out.
There was also a hazing incident that they found out about that was unresolved. They're not quite sure what happened with that. Others did not
speak out. And so they sort of closed the case without any resolution. But all of this, his history of, of his behavior and of these various incidents
will cause certainly people on this campus that are in -- reeling with the shock of what they have to deal with now. And those families, whose
children are now dead or injured, will cause serious questions about what authorities knew, you know, when they knew it and why more action wasn't
taken. Back to you.
SOARES: Miguel, thank you very much. Miguel Marquez there for us.
And still to come tonight, I'll be speaking to a former U.S. ambassador to China for his take on today's meeting between Presidents Biden and Xi.
That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping came face to face today at the G20 Summit in Bali. It
is the first in-person meeting since Biden took office with him calling it "open" as well as "candid". It comes, of course, amid rising tensions
between the two superpowers, as they butt heads on the range of issues from Ukraine to Taiwan, just to name a few.
Former U.S. Ambassador to China Max Baucus joins me now live to discuss. Ambassador, Great to have you back on the show. So it seems it was from
what we heard from President Biden and open and candid meeting. Though the summaries, as I was looking out for of the meeting, show the ongoing
divisions on both sides very much continue but I suspect talking, by itself, valuable given the tensions right now?
MAX BAUCUS, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO CHINA: The good news is that both President Biden and President Xi are adults representing very, very large
countries, the two largest in the world, very different political systems. We've been facing a competition, the relationship has been deteriorating.
So at least they met person to person. They met respectfully, each outlining the other's points of view so that's a start.
[14:40:02]
We have big differences ahead of us, but at least they're respectful.
SOARES: Yes. Like you said, they agree to establish these lines of communications, you know, like you said, Ambassador, still fundamental
differences in particular like Taiwan human rights and trade. Do you think this is enough to stop the relations from falling any further, this opening
up of between both sides?
BAUCUS: Well, that's the question. We just don't know. Both presidents had to speak very strongly because that's their view, but secondly, because
they have to show to the folks back home that they're stronger and they're standing up for their country. There are hawks in the United States that'll
be watching Biden very closely as there are hawks in China watching President Xi. So, we don't know.
SOARES: Yes.
BAUCUS: There's a feeling of goodwill in Bali now, but they're both going to go home. They're both going to face domestic pressures. They're going to
face issues that may have been long-lasting for a long time. Biden's going to face those in the United States who wanted to get tougher on Taiwan.
President Xi is going to Chinese who wanted to get tougher on Taiwan. So it's -- when they go home, they'll -- we'll know more after they go home.
It's early now. We -- hopefully good things continue, but we don't know yet.
SOARES: Yes. But what is clear is that both men, of course, you know, they've come to the meeting on the heels, I think it's fair to say,
ambassador, of kind of big political wins at home. Xi, of course, having recently been elevated to a third term as president. And Biden, of course,
outperforming expectations in midterms. How do you think that impacted these talks today?
BAUCUS: Well, I think more than anything, it impacted the confidence of each. It made President Biden more confident and President Xi more
confident because he's reelected in the 20th Party Congress. There's a difference here, though. President Xi is not sure that Biden is going to be
president in two years. He doesn't know. We know that President Xi will probably be president over the next five years. And this is the problem in
the relationship. That Chinese like continuity and stability, but they don't see it in the U.S. and that makes it difficult for China to reach
agreements.
SOARES: Xi Jinping said that Taiwan, was that the very core of China's core interests, basically stressing that this was very much indeed a red line.
This though remains, it seems to me, and you can correct me here, Ambassador, that they're (INAUDIBLE) issue, and one that President Biden
may struggle to make headway. What do you make of what both had to say? Because President Biden has said that the One China Policy won't change. Do
you think they can find compromise on this? Or this is about maintaining status quo right now?
BAUCUS: President Biden says about maintaining the status quo, that's really not the Chinese view. Taiwan is existential to China. That's
nonnegotiable, it's theirs, and they're going to do whatever it is to get there. Now, though, they want to do it peacefully, they want to take the
time, if necessary, they'll use force, but Taiwan is theirs.
From the U.S. perspective, it's a little different. We adhere to one China policy that undermines U.S. a little bit. Also, it's uncertain degree to
which the United States will send troops to defend Taiwan, it probably will not. And I think President Xi knows that. No, each has, again, catered to
his people back home. Big question here is what will President Biden do with a bill that's going through the Congress called the Taiwan Policy Act?
Now that that statute, if it passes, a stage that Taiwan is an ally, it's a non-NATO ally, well, that just sends shivers down the spine of the Chinese.
And I think Biden knows that that's not -- that legislation should not pass. But we'll have to watch President Biden to see how he handles that.
SOARES: Yes. Let me ask you, I mean, what do you think, Ambassador, that Xi is looking at Russia's war in Ukraine, and do you feel he's feeling
emboldened or do you think he's somewhat discouraged by what Russia and Putin may experience vis-a-vis, of course, thinking here of Taiwan?
BAUCUS: Well, Xi is ambivalent toward Russia. Russia is an ally. And China is not going to cut Russia off. No, Russia. China is very upset with how
Russia's handled itself in Ukraine. But China's going to help Russia a little bit, but not too much. That is not so much that China will incur
sanctions by the United States. It's a dance that all three countries are playing with each other.
And it's, essentially, China will look out for China's best interest, keep -- it's declared no nuclear arms for a nonnuclear policy toward Ukraine.
And both leaders agreed to that, but it's going to be an issue that's we're going to have to keep working with.
[14:45:02]
It's an issue that frankly has to be managed between both China and United States. It's not going away.
SOARES: Former Ambassador, U.S. Ambassador to China, Max Baucus, great to have you on the show, Ambassador, thank you very much for your time. And
we'll be back --
BAUCUS: Thank you. Thank you
SOARES: -- after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: All this week, we'll be showcasing Gen Z activists from all over the world who are going green to preserve our planet. Today, we head to New
England where 20-year-old entrepreneur Raina Jain has come up with another solution to help save the bees. Our Larry Madowo has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAINA JAIN, FOUNDER, HIVEGUARD: The reason that we're all here today is thanks to bees. They're the fundamental basis of our agricultural system.
Our plants are the reason we have food. And so protecting them and the health of a colony is not only in respect for the environment, but also
making sure that we thrive as a human population.
My parents grew up in India and they always taught me to value life no matter how small or how big. Even if there's an ant in the house, don't
kill it, take it safely outside and let it live.
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So when Raina visited a honeybee farm, and saw piles of dead bees, she felt an innate responsibility to take action.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAIN: For years, people thought that the reason that bees were dying were because of pesticides.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MADOWO: She learned that the parasitic varroa mite is a major cause in the global decline of honeybee colonies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAIN: So these are electron microscope photos of varroa mites and varroa mites are the kind of ticks on honeybees themselves.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JAIN: The mites can spread lethal viruses, impair flight, and eventually leads to colony destruction. Since 75 percent of the world's crops depend
on pollinators, this small mite could have a huge impact on our entire ecosystem.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAIN: So I said I want to do something to help save the bees and that's kind of where the birth of HiveGuard started. This is HiveGuard. It's a 3D
printed entranceway coated with a varroa side called thymol, and as bees pass the entranceway, the thymol rubs off into the body of the bee where
ultimately the concentration kills the varroa mite, but the honeybee is left and hot.
The data that we have right now for HiveGuard is that three weeks post installation, there's a 70 percent decline in varroa mite infestations in
the honeybee hive, and there's no lethal side effects unlike Current treatments.
[14:50:03]
My biggest achievement so far with HiveGuard has been seeing kind of the real-world impact that you can have. I get emails from beekeepers all the
time from all over the world saying how it's helped their hive. For me, that's like saving 50,000 lives. And so, there's nothing really more
rewarding than that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MADOWO: From the hive to your home, Raina hopes her message will make people appreciate pollinators and what they do for our planet.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAIN: The next time you take a bite out of your apple or a sip your coffee, you can think bees. Bees were the primary pollinators for those plants. And
they're the reason that you have food on your table, so you can really thank them for your existence.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And for more stories about the next generation of climate activists, you can visit cnn.com/GoingGreen.
Now this Premier League season has been going well for Manchester United. They're sitting at fifth place in the table, and they found a new life
under a new manager. But now the club faces an unwanted distraction with global superstar Cristiano Ronaldo saying he feels betrayed. Clips of the
commons have been released ahead of the full interview, which will air on TalkTV on Wednesday as well as Thursday. Coy Wire joins us now. And Coy,
from what I understand, he was incredibly critical of Man U, of course, the club where he kind of grew up, just shows how unhappy he is. What can you
tell us?
COY WIRE, CNN WORLD SPORT: If you want to learn more, which we understand there will be more soon. Good to see you, Isa. You know, Cristiano Ronaldo
made explosive comments in his interview with Piers Morgan. He's clearly been unhappy at Old Trafford this season, having asked to leave Manchester
United in the summer, and now after these comments, saying he's been mistreated, it's hard to believe that he would play for them ever again.
Here's some of what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PIERS MORGAN, TELEVISION PERSONALITY: They're trying to force you out?
CRISTIANO RONALDO, PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL PLAYER: Yes, not only the coach, but the other two or three guys there around the club.
MORGAN: At the senior executive level?
RONALDO: Yes. That I felt betrayed.
MORGAN: And you think they're trying to get rid of you?
RONALDO: Honestly, I shouldn't say that. I don't know. But listen, I don't care. I'm always people should listen to the truth. Yes, I feel betrayed
and I felt that some people that don't want me here, not only this year, but last year, too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: Now we reached out to Manchester United and the club responded with this statement, Isa, said "Manchester United notes the media coverage
regarding an interview by Cristiano Ronaldo. The club will consider its response after the full facts have been established. Our full focus remains
on preparing for the second half of the season and continuing the momentum, belief and togetherness being built among the players, manager staff, and
fans."
Now new manager Erik ten Hag has said that he wants Ronaldo there and he said that Ronaldo refused though to come on as a sub last month against
Spurs and walked away down the tunnel before the end of the game. That's a no-no. Ronaldo has played for United in two separate spells now. He's a
club legend at Old Trafford, Isa. But, you know, that could certainly change with regards to these statements and what more statements are to
come. The rest of this interview is set to air on TalkTV on Wednesday, and Thursday. So we shall see what's to be said.
SOARES: Can you just clarify something for me, Coy? I mean he -- did he -- didn't he ask -- I think you hit into this, to leave the club in the
summer?
WIRE: Yes.
SOARES: So, what happened?
WIRE: That's right. And so if there were any offers for him for trade offers, if they were good enough, you'd think that that could have happened
because, you know, as a former professional athlete, no team, no club wants what is called a cancer within the locker room, someone who blatantly says
they do not want to be there. I mean, that's tough to build the cohesiveness that you need to perform at a high level.
So now all eyes turn to the World Cup, right? The European season is on hold. He's 37 years old, he'll be representing Portugal. He's never won a
World Cup. How he fares there at that World Cup, many want to know, how is he going to do? It could go a long way and kind of, you know, painting the
picture of what's next to come for Ronaldo, you know, how invested is he in furthering his career of clearly he doesn't want to further it there at Man
U.
SOARES: Yes, I mean, hes representing my country, Portugal (INAUDIBLE) 50 but, look, he's a legend, really at Old Traffle -- Old Trafford. How do you
think, Roy -- Coy, that this will affect his legacy?
WIRE: Well, you know, he certainly was more of a legend at Real Madrid. But having played two spells now at Old Trafford, those fans, you know, they
embrace him, right? And anytime you have the goat playing for your colors, you know, of course you're going to want to embrace them, but now with
these allegations, it's going to be tough for some fans, I would imagine, to continue to root for them in maybe in the way that they have. We'll see
what else he has to say this.
The club mentioned in their statement they want to know the full facts so they -- they're waiting to see what else is going to come out of this
interview and maybe do some soul searching within to see what -- who could have said what, who could have done what to prompt and to say these things.
[14:55:05]
A lot more to learn from one of the greatest of all time.
SOARES: Indeed. We'll wait for the facts to come out. Coy Wire, I really appreciate it. Thanks, Coy.
WIRE: You got it, Isa.
SOARES: Now, good news for any Blur fans out there, the Brit pop band have announced they'll be back with a one-off gig next summer. Frontman Damon
Albarn said we really love playing these songs and thought it's about time we did it again. They'll be bound to play hits like this one.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLUR, BRITISH POP BAND: Woo-hoo. Woo-hoo. Woo-hoo. I got my head checked by a jumbo jet. It wasn't easy. But nothing is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: That's definitely making me feel old. Thanks very much for your company. Do stay right here with CNN. "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" is next. I
shall see you tomorrow. Bye-bye.
END
