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Meeting Between President Joe Biden And South Korea`s President Yoon Suk Yeol; A Look At Panda Diplomacy. Aired 4-4:10a ET
Aired April 27, 2023 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
COY WIRE, CNN 10 ANCHOR: Hello lovely people. Welcome to Thursday or as we like to say Happy Friday Eve. I`m here in Kansas City, Missouri home to
some bang in barbecue and the Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs. The NFL draft is here this weekend and starting tonight in the first round, the
best college players will see their hard work, dedication and sacrifice pay off when their names are called welcoming them to the NFL.
Now, let`s get to your news. I`m Coy Wire. This is CNN 10. And we start with the latest between the United States and South Korea. U.S. President
Joe Biden and South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol, they met yesterday at the White House to celebrate their alliances and to make new agreements
aimed at deterring aggression from North Korea. With concerns about North Korea growing, the two nations unveiled the Washington declaration, a set
of new steps to boost U.S. and South Korean cooperation on military training, strategy and assets. This includes a commitment from the United
States to deploy a nuclear armed submarine in South Korea for the first time since the early 1980s. This collaboration comes a year after the North
Koreans fired a record number of nuclear missile tests.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, (D) U.S. PRESIDENT: When it comes right down to it, it`s about what you believe, what you stand for, what kind of future you want for your
children and grandchildren. And right now, I believe the world is in an inflection point. The choices we make today, I believe are going to
determine the direction of our world and the future our kids for decades to come.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: The other purpose for the meeting this week is to celebrate 70 years of alliances between the U.S. and South Korea. And the visit signals the
importance of U.S. relations with other allies in the Indo-Pacific region.
Next week, President Biden will host the President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos Jr. And in the coming weeks he`s expected to travel to
that region himself. We`ll keep you updated on those events right here on CNN 10.
Ten second trivia.
In terms of scientific classification, the giant panda is part of which family?
Ursidae, Phocidae, Canidae or Felidae?
One of the most recognizable animals in the world giant pandas belong to the Ursidae family, which is the bear family.
Did you know that pandas are often used as diplomatic gifts in China. Beijing sent a panda named Ya Ya to a Tennessee zoo two decades ago as a
sign of cooperation. What is meant to be a bridge of diplomacy between the two nations has become a point of tension though. CNN International
Correspondent Selina Wang is on the ground in China with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SELINA WANG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Once a symbol of Beijing`s goodwill now the center of angry debate in China. This panda in Memphis,
Tennessee has become the latest victim in worsening U.S.-China tensions. Ya Ya arrived in America with her playmate Le Le two decades ago as an emblem
of growing bilateral friendship.
But recent videos showing the ones fluffy panda now looking skinny with scraggly fur has sparked outrage in China. Many Chinese people in some
animal advocates accusing the zoo of mistreatment.
Videos on Chinese social media claiming the pandas are being abused quickly went viral against the backdrop of growing anti-American sentiment. The
rumors often fanned by state propaganda.
And meanwhile, Chinese social media users are praising these viral videos of this panda in Russia Ruyi claiming videos of the active and playful
panda prove Russia is taking excellent care of the Chinese bear. State TV saying the pandas are helping the Russia-China relationship.
Chinese and American scientists launched a joint investigation concluding that Ya Ya has a genetic fur and skin condition that does not impact her
quality of life. And has received excellent care. But that message is not getting through.
Outside the panda exhibit at the Beijing Zoo. I asked people if they`ve heard of Ya Ya the panda? This man says, yes, she`s abused in America. An
11-year-old boy tells me I heard the U.S. is treating the panda poorly. This man says isn`t Russia taking good care of pandas. Pandas are happy
over there, not like in the U.S. And this man with his granddaughter tells me pandas in Russia are very happy, why? Russians and Chinese are friends.
At least Russia is not sanctioning China.
(On camera): Ya Ya will soon settle in this Beijing Zoo. Now China has long used its pandas as a diplomatic tool. Currently, its pandas on loan to
about 20 countries. The United States has not received one since Ya Ya and Le Le 20 years ago. Now these pandas are normally loaned on these 10-year
leases, and they cost a million dollars annually.
(Voice-over): The Memphis Zoo had already planned to send Ya Ya and Le Le back to Beijing this spring because their lease is expiring, but Le Le died
of heart disease two months ago, at the age of 24. The average lifespan for pandas is usually under 30 years. Yet that didn`t stop rampant speculation
and led to an explosion of accusations about Ya Ya treatment too, accelerating calls to bring Ya Ya back to China.
The message even featured on billboards from New York City to major cities across China. In 1972, during U.S. President Richard Nixon`s historic trip
to China, his wife visited pandas in Beijing.
PAT NIXON, U.S. FORMER FIRST LADY, RICHARD NIXON`S WIFE: On behalf of the people of the United States, I am pleased to be here and accept the
precious gift.
WANG: Months later, China sent a pair of pandas to the National Zoo in Washington D.C. Now, decades later, this pandas returned from the U.S. to
China symbolic, not a growing friendship, but growing animosity between two global superpowers. Selina Wang, CNN, Beijing
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WIRE: Next up, have you ever heard the saying birds of a feather video chat together? I certainly hadn`t. But today`s story getting a 10 out of 10
is about some parents causing quite a kerfuffle by taking video chatting to the next level. Apparently they were taught not how to ask for a cracker
but how to ask for a device to talk with their parent friends. Researchers studied parent behavior during these conversations and came up with some
unexpected conclusions. Our very own Jeanne Moos has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Instead of the usual Polly wants a cracker parrot owners are asking if Polly wants a video chat.
REBECCA KLEINBERGER, STUDY CO-AUTHOR, NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY: Want to say hi? Do you want to talk to her? You do? OK.
MOOS: It`s enough to make a lonely parrot Bob its head with excitement. And a paper titled, "Birds of a Feather Video-Flock Together," researchers
described teaching 18 pet parrots to ring a bell. When they rang the bell they were presented with a tablet.
KLEINBERGER: Which friend would you like to call?
MOOS: And given a choice of parrots for a video chat?
KLEINBERGER: You want to call Rosie?
MOOS: Over a three-month period.
KLEINBERGER: Oh Sammy, OK.
MOOS: The parrots made 147 requests for video calls.
KLEINBERGER: Good job, that`s Georgie.
Some birds got called a lot with our VIP birds. Some called -- some birds got called less.
MOOS: The ones who got called the most were the ones who also made the most calls. The researchers could tell the birds were truly engaged because
they premed together. Try did touch one another imitated each other and even sort of sang.
OK, so maybe there were no lovestruck movie moments.
KLEINBERGER: Whoa, she`s beautiful.
MOOS: But if you are researching parrots, can there be a greater thrill than this?
KLEINBERGER: Sometimes a bird would actually really call us so sometimes I was in a meeting or giving a class or at home and I would get a phone call
from a bird.
MOOS: Imagine seeing on your caller ID Sammy, the parrot. Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WIRE: All right, everyone. We had some awesome Your Word Wednesday submissions yesterday. Thanks to today`s winner Catherine from Park Middle
in West Virginia for kerfuffle. Did you hear it in the show? It`s a noun meaning a commotion or fuss, especially one caused by conflicting views.
Well done.
All right, now on to my favorite part of the show. Want to give a special shout out to Castle Rock Colorado, Castle Rock Middle School, you rock. We
hope you and everyone watching around the world have a wonderful one.
I`m Coy Wire, and we are CNN 10.
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