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No Concession in Sight From Trump As World Watches; CNN Projects Biden Wins Arizona, Flipping Republican Stronghold; U.S. Sets New Records For New Cases & Hospitalizations; Europe, UK Break Records Amid Partial Lockdowns; Day Two Underway in Golf's Final 2020 Major. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired November 13, 2020 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:28]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A growing list of Republicans are urging the president to accept his fate and move forward for the good of the country.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They are engaged in an absurd circus right now, refuse to go accept reality.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Department of Homeland Security declared the 2020 election the most secure in American history.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need to consider the former vice president as the president-elect.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: COVID patients in hospitals hitting another all-time high. Deaths also climbing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a humanitarian tragedy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Well, tonight, this is America in 2020, living through the worst mass casualty disaster in more than 100
years. We'll be connecting you to the people COVID-19 is hurting most, to the leaders who need to act and connecting you to those who may finally
have an answer to what is the plague of our times.
There is an awful lot to get through. I'm Becky Anderson, a very warm welcome to the program.
We begin in Washington with a president who seems absolutely determined on keeping his current four walls around him, refusing to accept how reality
is actually closing in in almost every other way, whether it's in votes being counted or in a flood of congratulatory messages from world leaders
for Joe Biden, the simple fact is Donald Trump lost the election.
Sources tell CNN that that has got him feeling dejected. What happens next literally could become a matter of life or death for Americans. By the way,
as we've been hearing a lot this week, the numbers don't lie.
Let me walk you through this. For only the second time in more than 70 years, Arizona voted for a Democrat as president. It's a shift so
monumental some within the party may very well be feeling that Arizona's state capital of Phoenix is living up so its name.
If Arizona rings a bell, it may be because of the state's most well-known senator was a man whose name is still synonymous with the traditional
values of the Republican Party. John McCain, a frequent target of criticism from Donald Trump, before he died.
Well, earlier, we spoke to John McCain's wife Cindy about what her late husband might have thought about Donald Trump's refusal to concede defeat
and his blocking of the Biden transition team's access to federal agencies, to funds and to security briefings.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CINDY MCCAIN, WIDOW OF JOHN MCCAIN: And I believe that in this -- in this case that leading by fear is probably going to go out the door. To lead
good people into democracy or any other position for that matter, you need to be someone who believes in them first, and I think that's definitely the
case with Joe Biden and certainly is not the case with this president.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, that mood being -- by some of the most influential names in the Republican Party today, including Lindsey Graham, who has been a key
confidant for President Trump. And to that, international leaders who might otherwise not speak out at a time like this, that would include the
decidedly nonpartisan pope. Pope Francis says he looks forward to working with his fellow Catholic on issues such as climate change and migration.
Have a listen to the tone of this statement from China.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We have been following the reaction to the U.S. presidential election of both the United States and
the international community. We respect the choice of the American people. We extend congratulations to Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris. Meanwhile, we
understand the results of the U.S. election will be determined according to U.S. laws and procedures.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: So why is this all so pressing? I will tell you why, 153,000 times over. That is the record number of daily COVID infections the U.S.
reported on Thursday. A surge so bad that in some places, hospitals and even morgues are beyond capacity.
This is our live data map and we will talk about specific numbers in a moment, but just look at the coloring across so much of the U.S. states,
like Illinois now making decisions on a local level, but have to do so without the backing of strict federal regulation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. J.B. PRITZKER (D-IL): Since the stay-at-home order ended in may, we've allowed local governments to make decisions about whether they needed
tougher mitigations and we've only imposed certain select mitigations at the state level on a regional basis.
Those tools worked where people acted responsibly in local communities, but with many community leaders choosing not to listen to the doctors, we are
left with not many tools left in our toolbox to fight this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, we don't have a sound bite from president Trump to play for you in response because he isn't talking about this, or anything on
camera, actually. Nor has he been over the past eight days. But then there are times when silence can speak or certainly feel like it speaks volumes.
I'm going to end here with this, since the last time we heard the U.S. president's voice, 7,000 Americans have died and there have been almost 1
million new coronavirus cases in the country. And that's what we know of.
We will connect to those two developments quite frankly like those we have never seen before. Let's bring in a man who's basically seen all, our
veteran reporter John Harwood in the house view from D.C.
Good to have you, John.
And, you know, the Biden camp has, quite frankly, been sort of pretty resilient at this point in what should be a transition period. How is it
responding to what's going on at present?
JOHN HARWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Joe Biden, Becky, is taking this in stride, trying to lower the temperature, keep calm about the
situation. He has a very experienced team. He is personally very experienced and Ron Klain, his incoming White House chief of staff,
somebody who served him for decades and served President Obama as well, the previous Clinton administration, is somebody who was describing when he
went on television last night out reach that's going on even while the Trump administration impedes formal transition efforts.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RON KLAIN, CHIEF OF STAFF, PRESIDENT-ELECT BIDEN: Joe Biden has spoken to Republicans. He's spoken to some Republican senators, some Republican
governors, I'm not going to go into the names.
He has not spoken, though, to Senator McConnell. Look, I think Senator McConnell still seems to be insisting somehow that President Trump won the
election. He didn't.
There will be a time and place for Joe Biden and Senator McConnell to talk. They obviously need no introduction.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARWOOD: Joe Biden and Mitch McConnell, of course, served together in the Senate for a couple of decades. Know each other very well.
And that will be a crucial relationship. Unless Democrats sweep, Becky, the two Georgia runoff special elections for the senate, which will occur the
first week in January, Mitch McConnell will be the Senate Republican leader, the Senate majority leader, and that is a relationship that's going
to be much more important than relationship that seems to be broken right now between the outgoing President Donald Trump and the incoming president-
elect.
ANDERSON: John, 7,000 Americans have died since we last heard officially from Donald Trump. He is receiving an update today on Operation Warp Speed
which to his credit of course has been working.
What do we know about that briefing, John?
HARWOOD: Well, Becky, that briefing is actually part of the problem. The president's focus, exclusive focus on the vaccine rather than trying to
stop the spread of the virus is one of the reasons we are in such a dire state. Yes, it is a good thing that a vaccine is on the way and it is on
the way. We may start getting health workers vaccinated before the end of the year and others the first few months of 2021.
But that is no substitute for stopping this raging spread of the pandemic which is occurring across the country. So, this situation can get a whole
lot worse no matter what kind of update the president gets on the vaccine, he seems to think that that is somehow going to vaccinate himself from the
charges of incompetence in managing this virus, but it is not. He has failed and he is continuing to fail as he leaves office in a couple of
months.
ANDERSON: John Harwood is in the house. It is just after 10:00 a.m. Good luck with this day. It will be interesting to speak tomorrow and find out
what happened in 24 hours in Washington. Who knows? Thank you, John.
And you will be able to hear my full interview with Cindy McCain, the widow of John McCain, the long-time Republican senator from Arizona, which is
just ahead in the show.
[10:10:03]
That state, of course, has been called for Joe Biden.
Well, while President Trump holds out for an electoral change, the coronavirus crisis is only getting worse. Another day, yet another new
high, 153,000 people diagnosed yesterday alone, and California became the second U.S. state to pass a million cases, a milestone that only ten
countries in the world reached.
And for the third day in a row, hospitalizations hit a new record high. But the American government pinning a lot of hope as John and I have been
discussing on a vaccine rollout. Their hopes will start in December.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEX AZAR, U.S. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY: Initially in December and January, we're going to be having very targeted vaccinations also
helped in large part by some of our largest chains like Walgreens and CVS by the end of March to early April. We think across all of the vaccines
that we have invested in. We'd have enough for all Americans who wish to get vaccinated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, this is not an understatement. A vaccine rollout could not come soon enough for many. April seems like a lifetime away, doesn't it?
Some states in the U.S. are at breaking point like in Utah, for example, where there are no ICU beds left.
Lucy Kafanov has more from there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LUCY KAFANOV, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The coronavirus pandemic is ravaging the state of Utah, cases skyrocketing, the death count soaring,
officials sounding the alarm.
GARY HERBERT, UTAH GOVERNOR: We are at the breaking point and ready to have some serious repercussions.
KAFANOV: The numbers shattering records. The state recording nearly 4,000 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, Utah's seven-day new case average now at a
record 2,738 cases, the positivity rate for the first time surpassing 23 percent and the death toll nearing 700 and climbing.
HERBERT: Those numbers should be alarm to go all of us as we look at the death rates and those who are being hospitalized and the overrunning of our
hospital system.
KAFANOV: The surge wreaking havoc on hospitals.
(on camera): Is Utah at a tipping point when it comes to COVID infections?
DR. ELIZABETH MIDDLETON, UNIVERSITY OF UTAH HOSPITAL: I think so.
KAFANOV (voice-over): Dr. Elizabeth Middleton helps oversee the University of Utah hospital's incentive care unit and is preparing for another surge.
MIDDLETON: Ask me in two weeks, we will be having a different conversation again because I think we will see our hospitalizations increase across --
across the state. And, again, it's the suffering that weighs on me. It's the suffering of the patients. It's the suffering of the staff who feel
helpless.
HERBERT: I'm declaring a new state of emergency to address hospital overcrowding.
KAFANOV: The crisis leading Governor Gary Herbert to issue a two-week state of emergency, ordering all Utahans to mask up despite previously
resisting a mandate, banning residents from socializing with people from different households, ramping up testing across the state, even deploying
more national guard to help with testing and contact tracing.
LINDSAY WOOTTON, LOST MOTHER AND GRANDFATHER TO COVID-19: It's crazy to think that this lady right here is -- this is what she is now. It's just
memories and it's heartbreaking. This is one of the last photos taken of them together.
KAFANOV: But Lindsay Wootton says those measures are too little, too late. Her grandfather died of COVID-19 last month, days later the woman she
called her best friend, her mom, also lost her life to COVID. Her father battled the disease for 46 days in the hospital, now home recovering and
mourning the love of his life.
WOOTTON: The whole day was probably within of the harder days of my life.
KAFANOV: She recalls when doctors broke the news her mom wasn't going to survive, moments later, she learned her grandfather was about to pass.
WOOTTON: We called my grandpa and I put him on speakerphone so he could talk to my mom. He called my mom kiddo. He called us all kiddo, but he
said, kiddo, I'm not doing good, and she said, dad, I'm not, either. And he said, Tre, I'm dying and she said, dad, I am, too. And he said, then I'll
look for you in heaven.
KAFANOV: She wants others to learn from her family's tragedy.
WOOTTON: It's frustrating that people brush it off, that it is just the flu, because more some people it's not. For some people, it costs third
life. It took my mom and that's irreplaceable.
My kids -- my kids don't get their grandma. My -- my mom will never see my kids get married.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Let's get you the very latest facts as we know them.
CNN's Elizabeth Cohen with us now from our worldwide headquarters.
We've just seen incredible strain that U.S. could face as hospitalizations and deaths continue to rise.
Donald Trump just seems to have given up amid his war on the vote, Elizabeth.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, he seems to be so focused on the vote that who knows what he's thinking about coronavirus.
Who knows what he's thinking about how under his watch the numbers are just skyrocketing.
Let's take a look at this graph. I think that it says it all. If you look to the far right of the graph, what you will see is that number going up,
up, up. Does he care?
You know, one of the trademarks of Trump's presidency is that he has shown that he cares more about himself than he does about the nation as a whole.
So what we're seeing now is that he is so focused on the vote and saying that he was robbed of the election -- Becky.
ANDERSON: The Health Secretary Alex Azar said something very interesting about Joe Biden's COVID-19 plans moving forward.
I want our viewers just to have a listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AZAR: Vice President Biden's plan to deal with the coronavirus is eerily reminiscent of our plan and what we've been executing on and what we're
executing on now. I think also a lot of continuity no matter what the circumstance. Obviously, if there is a transition here, we're going to
ensure that it's a professional, cooperative one because our mission is protecting the health and welfare of all Americans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Biden's plan he said is eerily reminiscent of ours. Biden's plan is coming together, you will be well aware of that. Do you agree with that
assessment?
COHEN: You know, he then went -- Secretary Azar then went on to tell wolf here is what's eerily reminiscent, Biden's plan deals with protective
equipment, so does our, vaccines, so does ours, testing, so does ours.
Well, of course, those are three of the major ingredients in dealing with coronavirus. Did he expect President Biden's team to talk about coffee and
donuts? It is perplexing what he was trying to say.
Eerily similar, he's trying to make a little dig it sounds like, like they're just copying us. It seems like an odd thing to say, especially when
you are on your way out. Then he went on to sound sort of much more like a grown up and say, oh, you know, we are going to make sure that there is a
good transition.
Why did he need to make that silly little jab first? It seems kind of -- it's very odd.
ANDERSON: Odd is a good description.
And Chicago's mayor says that his city, the largest with the most uncontrolled outbreaks now, have a listen to what the governor of the state
of Illinois had to say about the conditions at present.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRITZKER: We're running out of time and we're running out of options. Our growth in new cases is now exponential. The numbers don't lie. If things
don't take a turn in the coming days, we will quickly reach the point when some form of a mandatory stay-at-home order is all that will be left. With
every fiber of my being, I do not want us to get there, but right now, that seems like where we are heading.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Now, it does seem as if he's raising the idea of a shutdown. I know that we have discussed this before. But is that more possible, do you
think, in a Biden era and perhaps more necessary than ever before?
COHEN: Well, as for the second, it certainly is something I think the people will be taking a look at more because these numbers keep going up,
but remember, to do another lockdown, that would be a really serious step. It would hurt the economy.
You really have to be going into that with your eyes open and saying this is so bad that we are going to take these economic hits. It's unclear if
the Biden administration will want to go that direction. It is -- that is a big choice to make.
What I heard the governor saying just now is that he really doesn't want to do this. Maybe what he's trying to tell the people in his state is, without
saying it, look, guys, let's get it together here. Let's not get together and have big Thanksgiving dinners later this month. Let's not have large
gatherings. Let's wear masks faithfully not under our chins, which is how I see many people wear them.
So, maybe what he's trying to say is if we can get this together, if we can make this work, we won't have to shut down because nobody wants to shut
down.
[10:20:04]
ANDERSON: Yeah, absolutely.
Elizabeth, always a pleasure. Thank you very much indeed for joining us.
COHEN: Thanks.
ANDERSON: We will have more on the devastating coronavirus and its effects as we move on through this show.
All right. What are we doing next? The state of vaccine trials and production. We're going to do that when we speak with the editor in chief
of "The Lancet", Richard Horton. And that's in the next hour of CONNECT THE WORLD.
Up next, why it is some health experts aren't keen on Europe's lockdown light strategy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hospitals will not be able to cope with the patients whether they arrive because they have COVID-19 or whether they arrive
because they have another emergency, and because this lockdown is rather mellow.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Yeah. Well, Europe's balancing act for trying to put a lid on COVID-19 is next.
Plus, the fighting and looming refugee crisis in Ethiopia's Tigray region. That's reportedly taken a horrific turn. Amnesty International raising the
alarm about what it calls a massacre of civilians. That story in our next hour.
And what will U.S./China foreign policy look like under a Biden presidency? We have some insight from a veteran diplomat for you. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: All right. Let's get to the COVID crisis in Europe. I want to alert you, it is complicated. I've been showing you all week record spikes
in confirmed cases and deaths across the continent.
Italy and France among the world's top ten for both, I'm afraid, with France declaring that one in four deaths happening there is now due to
coronavirus. But we are also seeing patches of light and degrees of hope.
Take Spain, for example. Its health chief says that the picture there is a bit more favorable. Belgium saying pretty much the same thing, though keep
in mind, absolutely no one is saying that we are out of the woods as of yet.
Here is the complicated part, this time around, many European governments are trying to sort of lock down light approach, let's call it that, instead
of the far stricter lockdowns that we saw back in the spring. It's such a delicate balancing act trying to keep local economies going while also
trying to keep a lid on the virus.
We've been talking about this dilemma that governments face and have faced for some time.
CNN's Melissa Bell joining me live from Paris.
Look, I mean, until a vaccine is found, I guess we should suggest that this may be the new normal, if health systems are to be protected, but do you
think Europeans willing to tow the line or could we be entering a winter of discontent?
MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think, Becky, that's exactly the question. These may be slightly looser lockdowns that are in
place in several European countries, but they are definitely more contested than were the first lockdowns in the spring.
[10:25:08]
And as you say, these slight improvements in several European countries in terms of infections, but take Germany, a slight improvement there and yet,
today, the highest rise in the daily cases ever since the pandemic started.
So, complicated figures to read. A sense that things might be improving but as we heard from the French prime minister last night, the partial lockdown
here in France will stay in place because it would be irresponsible at this stage to lift it given the pressure on hospitals and ICUs.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BELL (voice-over): The first COVID-19 wave in Europe was stopped like this. Cities like Paris locked down for weeks with millions of Europeans
confined to their homes. And it worked. The first wave was under control by the summer.
But two weeks into the second national lockdown, cases and hospitalizations are still rising throughout France.
(on camera): Paris, under this second partial lockdown, feels very different. Take its most famous street, the Champs-Elysee. Anything that
you might do for fun -- visit a clothes shop, go to a restaurant, go to a cafe -- well, you can't do. Everything's shut.
But this time around, kids are in school, and many more people are going out to work, an effort on the part of the government to try and keep an
already battered economy as open as possible.
(voice-over): But will the partial lockdowns now in place in several European countries prove strict enough? From Belgium's beaches to the cafes
of Italy to the streets of Paris, a fine line is being sought between too much and too little freedom on a continent that's been hit hard by the
second wave.
This week, the United Kingdom had its highest single-day death toll. ICUs in several European countries are under strain. In Naples, some hospitals
so overwhelmed that they've been giving oxygen to patients inside their cars while they wait for room to admit them.
And France this week transferred dozens of patients from cities where hospitals are full to other cities, and even to Germany.
CATHERINE HILL, EPIDEMIOLOGIST: I think we are heading rather fast toward a major medical catastrophe. We are -- the hospitals will not be able to
cope with the patients. Whether they arrive because they have COVID-19 or whether they arrive because they have another emergency, and because this
lockdown is rather mellow.
BELL: This week, Italy became the fourth European country to past the million case mark. A growing number of its regions are now in partial
lockdown, although people have continued to meet in bars and cafes.
CRISTINA PANETTA, STUDENT: People today don't take this situation seriously.
MAIA AMARA, STUDENT: If we will get another lockdown, OK. People will not die because coronavirus but will die because, like, they don't work and
they don't have money.
BELL: Patience with restrictions has been wearing thin these last couple of weeks.
In Milan, protesters faced off with anti-riot police who fired tear gas. In Spain, there were protests against mask wearing. And in France, more
resistance, with teachers going on strike over the difficulty of enforcing social distancing in classrooms.
Parisian restaurateurs, meanwhile, are doing what they can to try and weather the storm, with many doing takeaway for the first time, since this
could be the shape of things until a vaccine is found.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BELL: Part of the problem, Becky, is that it takes a drop in infection rates several weeks to translate into an easing of pressure on
hospitalizations and ICU, one figure from the French prime minister yesterday that puts into stark contrast. There is at the moment as a result
of the second wave in France a hospitalization every 30 seconds and entry into ICU, Becky, every three minutes.
ANDERSON: Wow. That is frightening.
Melissa, thank you.
Coming up later this hour, hitting -- excuse me, let me say that again. Hitting the high seas in the midst of a global pandemic. One cruise ship
was hoping to lead by example, but here is what happened --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was probably overconfident. I did not expect this to happen. I looked at what we had planned, you know, I looked at the testing
and the social distancing and everything they were going to do and said, well, nobody is going to get sick on this ship, you know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, things didn't quite work out as planned. We will have a live report from Havana later this hour.
Well, the Trump administration muddying the waters with China before the president leaves office. Former U.S. ambassador to Beijing will share his
thoughts on two the two countries might navigate what is a seeming minefield is just ahead.
Plus --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want him to grow up in an environment with enough freedom and he could have a chance to do what he wants to do, not be
restricted by some invisible red line.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[10:30:13]
ANDERSON: Well, some teachers in Hong Kong say they are ready to leave. Why the new security law there has teachers worried about what the future
holds for them and their families.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back. You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson. It is 32 minutes past 7:00 here in the UAE. I'm in Abu Dhabi,
this is our Middle Eastern programming hub.
Although the U.S. President Donald Trump is just weeks away from leaving office, he is building some diplomatic road blocks with China before he
goes. Relations between Washington and Beijing have deteriorated to their lowest point in decades. China has this furious response to a recent
comment by the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saying it will counter attack if the U.S. continues to interfere with Taiwan, and condemning what it
calls America's sinister intentions.
Mr. Trump has signed an executive order banning U.S. investments that might benefit the Chinese military. China calls that move politically motivated
and harmful to global trade but it has just reached out to congratulate the next U.S. president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WANG WENBIN, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN (through translator): We have been following the reactions to the U.S. presidential election of both
the United States and the international community. We respect the choice of the American people. We extend congratulations to Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris,
meanwhile, we understand the result of the U.S. election will be determined according to U.S. laws and procedures.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, from trade to technology to a thorny diplomatic issues, Max Baucus knows China. He was U.S. ambassador there under President Barack
Obama. And I'm delighted to say he joins us now to discuss this relationship and what might happen going forward.
Leaders from around the world largely tripping over themselves to congratulate Joe Biden. It took China nearly a week to do so. Given this
deterioration in the relationship between Beijing and Washington under Donald Trump, you think they would be relieved to have someone else in
office.
So why do you believe they left the response so late?
MAX BAUCUS, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO CHINA: Well, my judgment is that China has taken a very measured response to some of the actions that Trump
is taking. First of all, the Trump election and some of the reactions that Trump is taking.
[10:35:00]
Trump has taken some parting shots against China, this recent announcement that the United States is banning investment in certain Chinese companies
that may or may not be military ties, just an example. I expect there could be a few more. He may in part be enacting some poisoned pills to make it
more difficult for a Biden administration to take over with respect to the relationship with the U.S. and China.
ANDERSON: The editor of the state-owned nationalist tabloid in China, global times, tweeted this today, I support Chinese foreign ministry in
congratulating Biden, it is this is Pompeo's fault. The attitude of the current U.S. state department towards China after the election is so bad.
Chinese people hope to see Pompeo gone no matter what trouble his successor brings to China.
And the question is who will be the secretary of state under a Biden administration and what policy might be. And certainly from those I've
spoken to and from what I can understand from the sort of foreign policy team around Joe Biden, they are concerned that China is in a better
position after the Trump administration, these weaker alliances, for example, around the world suit China, don't they? China sees those
alliances as a sort of core strength for the U.S.
What do you perceive to be at this stage policy towards Beijing going forward?
BAUCUS: Biden policies will be more measured, they will be inclined to try to work out agreements with China, but Joe Biden is not going to be played,
he's not going to be weak, he's not going to roll over and play dead. He's going to be very tough.
Their policy basically is one of competing with China, not confronting China, not fighting China certainly where the military stands but competing
with China and then we will take it from there.
I suspect that you will see Biden also working very much with our allies as Trump did not. Trump very much worked against our allies in many ways,
including tariffs that Trump imposed on our allies and cause add business rift in many cases between the United States and let's say Europe and
Canada, in many cases Japan.
Biden won't do that. Biden is an internationalist but he is a tough firm internationalist and you will also see Biden not governing by his Twitter
account, rather he will be working through established mechanisms, State Department, NSC, I mean, National Security Council, and there will be fewer
surprises.
China will -- when Biden takes actions against China, more than likely China will expect it because it will have been an early attempt to work out
some accommodation. It didn't work so then Biden may have to pull the trigger on something.
ANDERSON: You talked about wanting to compete rather than sort of destroy each other as it were. It would be easier of course for the U.S. to compete
from a position of strength, wouldn't it, and that means --
BAUCUS: Yes.
ANDERSON: -- putting democracy back at the sort of center of things and values. I mean, the Beijing will see, you know, democracy, values-based
negotiation as it were or values at the heart of policy as a position of strength, something that it has seen whittled away by the Trump
administration.
What do you perceive Beijing's attitude towards Washington to be going forward? I mean, we have talked about where you think Joe Biden will be,
but you know Beijing well. What will it's biggest concerns be going forward?
BAUCUS: Well, frankly, you made earlier a very good point, many in China, including President Xi see democracy is alive in America, that is, the
transition of power is going to work, a man who was elected who cares about due process.
I get many, many telephone calls and communications and WeChats and so forth from my Chinese friends in China who tell me they're very relieved.
They're very happy that Biden gets elected, not because they think Biden is a pushover but because they very much value seeing a country and working
with a country that has democratic due process values. That they say to me will strengthen the hands of the reformers in China. Now, China is not --
ANDERSON: That's interesting.
BAUCUS: -- China is not one country, there's many forces in China, the hawks and doves and those that want to fight more and those that want to
reform more. And the election of Biden, my friends tell me, strengthens the hands of the reformers in China and that's going to probably help a more
even relationship is difficult and as fraught as it might be.
ANDERSON: Fascinating.
Briefly, I just want to put this to you, Mark Esper sacked from his position at defense this week and we have had a number of people not least
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy tell me that he thinks that provides a real vacuum that is incredibly dangerous both for national security and for, you
know, the rest of the world, quite frankly. He said that he believed that, for example, China might use that vacuum to get on and sweep out some of
the issues that it wants seen done with.
And we have seen what it has done in Hong Kong this week.
Do you see Beijing taking advantage, I'm talking about the hawks in Beijing, taking advantage of this messy transition period?
BAUCUS: No, I don't think so. I've been impressed, frankly, over the last year when United States takes a fairly aggressive action, added additional
companies to the entities list, that Beijing has been fairly measured in its response. Maybe it's the rhetoric, but this terms of actual actions
they've been pretty measured in their response. I think even more so in this case.
They are looking forward to a Biden presidency. They are not going to want to take actions now that will make it more difficult for Biden when he
takes over to govern and develop a relationship with China. Again, this is -- this is not going to be easy, both countries know it's going to be very,
very difficult, but under Biden, China sees somebody who maybe they can work with, try to play, to be honest about it. But Joe Biden is not going
to allow himself to be played and I think Beijing basically knows that, too.
ANDERSON: Well, tell that to the Democrats of Hong Kong. But, anyway, thank you, sir. It's good to have you on. Your insight is extremely
valuable for you. Thank you.
All week long, we have been watching as Beijing tightens its grip over Hong Kong. It has to be said now a show of solidarity from Hong Kong's pro-
democracy lawmakers, 15 of them have resigned from the legislature in support of four others ousted after China's government passed a new
resolution.
It allows the sacking without court action of lawmakers who promote Hong Kong's independence or seek foreign intervention in Hong Kong's affairs.
The resolution sparked widespread international backlash. This was, in fact, exactly the sort of thing that Chris Murphy was speaking to me about
at the beginning of the week, it was one of his fears.
Hong Kong has long served as an oasis of academic freedom and a safe haven for open thought. Now after Beijing's crackdown, it's unclear what can be
legally said even in a classroom and that has teachers on the move as Selina Wang now reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SELINA WANG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sara (ph) is ready to say goodbye to Hong Kong, her birthplace and home, all for her 8-
year-old son.
SARA (ph), HONG KONG RESIDENT: I want him to grow up in an environment with enough freedom, and he can have a chance to do what he wants to do,
not be restricted by some invisible red line.
WANG: She's a teacher in Hong Kong, planning to move to the U.K.
SARA (ph): We're open for different options. OK? Like, cashier at a supermarkets, or even being cleaners or doing dishes, OK? So anything is
possible. I think we place more value on giving my son the option and the freedom.
WANG: In the summer, the Chinese government imposed a national security law that bans secession, subversion, terrorist activities, and collusion
with foreign powers, given Beijing the power to quash opposition with fines and prison sentences.
Now, the battleground has moved from the streets to the classroom. Teachers are under scrutiny, and schools, publishers, and libraries are removing or
altering materials that could violate the law.
Chief executive Carrie Lam said illegal ideas and pro-independence concepts cannot exist in schools. Beijing has blamed the city's schools for
radicalizing young people.
REGINA IP, CHAIRWOMAN, LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL EDUCATION PANEL: Shouting profanities.
WANG: Virginia Ip is a pro-Beijing lawmaker. She says the changes will teach a more balanced history of China.
IP: I have received complaints about teachers using the classroom as a tool of their political beliefs, even stirring up hatred of the police or
the Chinese government, of the people of China.
WANG: But those changes worry some parents of young children.
College teachers are feeling the pressure, too. Chinese University of Hong Kong professor Rowena He is known for her research on the 1989 Tiananmen
Square massacre, a banned topic in China.
PROFESSOR ROWENA HE, CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG: We never know what the red line is. Right? That's the root of censorship and self- censorship.
WANG: This year, for the first time, the Tiananmen vigil was banned. Authorities blamed coronavirus restrictions, but many fear it is gone for
good.
[10:45:03]
HE: Until the day that the governments stop imprisoning people for what they say, what they write, what they teach, what they believe in, people
would have the same fear. But then I don't think that means that we should stop doing the right thing.
WANG: One of Rowena's students plans to become a teacher herself so she can keep the memory of 1989 alive.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We need someone to continue to teach the next generation and continue to tell them what is right and wrong, not just let
them be brainwashed by the government.
SARA (ph): Three, two, one, go.
WANG: Now, Sara's (ph) biggest fear for her son is what the city could become in the decades to come. By leaving Hong Kong now, she's hoping he
won't have to leave his home again when he grows up.
Selina Wang, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Next up, defending champion Tiger Woods is chasing a record- tying sixth green jacket at the Masters. Live to Augusta, Georgia, next where day two of the long delayed tournament is now under way.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Right. Play is under way on day two of the Masters in Augusta, Georgia. Golf's final major of the year. Of course, delayed seven months
due to COVID. It had a rainy start on Thursday and I mean a rainy start, meaning a bunch of players had to finish their first rounds this morning,
England's Paul Casey took the clubhouse lead -- not far behind, defending champion Tiger Woods.
Andy Scholes joining us live from Augusta to bring us up to speed with what is happening on the course. Sir Tiger and his fans certainly have plenty of
reason to be optimistic.
Tell us why.
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Becky, unfortunately for Tiger, you know, there weren't any patrons here in year
for the tournament because of coronavirus because he would have gotten a lot of ovations and cheers yesterday with the way he played. Tiger has
never had a better first round here at the Masters than he did on Thursday. Tiger tying his best performance ever in a first round here in Augusta
shooting 4 under.
It was the first bogey-free round for Tiger at a major since 2009, Tiger three shots off the lead and after his round he said this November Masters,
it certainly has a different feel to it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TIGER WOODS, DEFENDING MASTERS CHAMPION: No patrons, no roars, no -- we asked a few of the camera guys today where did the ball end up because we
just didn't know. So, that's very different. A lot of firsts today and this is kind of the way this entire year has been. The fact that we're able to
compete for a Masters this year considering all that's been going on, it's a great opportunity for all of us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: Tiger will be in the afternoon groups today. One of the guys he's chasing is England's Paul Casey. Casey also had a bogey-free round on
Thursday on his way to 7 under. The 43-year-old played well here at the Masters before, five top ten finishes in his 13 starts, still looking,
though, for that first major. Casey said after his round he couldn't wait to get to Augusta this year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL CASEY, SEEKING 1ST CAREER MAJOR TITLE: I felt excited to be here, as soon as I stepped foot on property on Monday. I've never been so happy to
pass a COVID-19 test in my life.
[10:50:02]
Was genuinely nervous about, I didn't know why I was nervous because my protocols haven't changed, you know, the kids were denied from going out on
playdates last week, you can't go on playdates, dad has to go to the Masters.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: Yeah, got to be safe.
So world number one Dustin Johnson and Dylan Frittelli a 30-year-old from South Africa, they have matched Paul Casey's first round score at 7 under.
Those are your three leaders as round two is under way.
Fifty-three players shooting under par, Becky, in the first round of the masters. That's a record. Lots of low scores. It should be an en sighting
finish to the Masters the next three days.
ANDERSON: Oh, to be able to shoot like that on that course. It's unbelievable. These guys are true professionals. Thank you, sir.
And this just in, Liverpool winger Mo Salah has tested positive for coronavirus, he is in Egypt this week for his home country's Africa Cup of
Nations qualifier. The Egyptian Football Association announced Salah's diagnosis on Twitter saying he is symptom-free and none of his Egyptian
teammates tested positive.
Mo Salah, of course, is a dear friend of this show. We wish him all the best as he recovers from the virus.
Well, it's been months since cruise ships caught the world's attention for how rapidly coronavirus spread on board. You remember one ship tried to
show the way back to cruising.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They really thought that they had this figured out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, now an outbreak. Can cruise ships operate safely again? We're going to talk about that after this.
And later, as refugees run from fighting in Ethiopia's Tigray region, the Amnesty International says it has evidence of a massacre there. A report on
that in the next hour.
You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, it's been many months since coronavirus docked the cruise industry. Cruise ships almost became floating Petri dishes for the virus
cases at one stage. After a very, very long break, it has to be said, one cruise ship hoped to change that and lead by example.
SeaDream One that you see it here became the first ship to set sail in the Caribbean post-virus. It meant to show the world how extensive testing and
hygiene protocols could keep COVID-19 at bay. But things did not work out as planned. Seven people on board have tested positive for the virus.
CNN's Patrick Oppmann joining you now live from the ever beautiful Havana.
And it does seem in the most pristine of conditions, this virus manages to find its way through. What have people on board been saying, Patrick?
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the update we have gotten minutes ago is good news for those passengers who have tested negative and
that is they say they have been told by the crew if they tested negative at least twice in the last 24 hours or so that starting on Saturday, tomorrow,
they will be able to disembark the ship, again, those passengers who are healthy, some 46 passengers, and they will be able to get on flights and
return home.
For the seven or so passengers, we have not heard exactly what's going to happen to them.
[10:55:02]
We have been reaching out regularly to SeaDream Yacht Club, but you would have to expect that they will have to stay put until they are once again
testing negative. It goes to show, Becky, how as you were saying difficult it is to keep COVID particularly off a cruise ship because these passengers
they told us that they went through rigorous and regular testing but somehow that testing wasn't good enough.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GENE SLOAN, PASSENGER: SeaDream really thought that they had this figured out. You know, I think they thought that they could block COVID at the
door, you know, and the ship had a very rigorous testing schedule, more rigorous than what some of the big lines are planning to do when they come
back in a few months.
BEN HEWITT, PASSENGER: It's just so disappointing that this has happened because everybody had their hopes up high and we can't say anything more
that they could have done, it's just such a horrible virus it just gets everywhere even with the constant testing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
OPPMANN: And SeaDream was so confident that the rigorous testing, the safety protocols, the fact that once you got on this cruise you were
essentially in a bubble, Becky, that they had journalists and bloggers aboard to get the word out that cruising in the Caribbean was back up and
running. A very different result from what they had hoped for and it does cast an ominous sign even as most of the passengers it appears will be able
to travel home, that they were able to stay healthy.
But it does raise a question, you know, how are larger cruise lines that have many more passengers than this that don't have quite the same rigorous
testing they are not able to do that kind of testing, how are they going to operate without having a similar situation arise. It really does seem very,
very difficult for cruise ships to operate during the pandemic, and SeaDream thought they had figured it out and very clearly they were wrong.
ANDERSON: Yeah, I mean, it does raise huge questions about the industry, doesn't it?
Patrick, thank you. Patrick is in Havana.
Well, people go and see the world to experience historic marvels amongst much else. This won't be on anyone's travel bucket list. You are looking at
what's been called the potato head of Palencia, the town in Spain where it happened.
Of course, it's no homage to the character Mr. Potato Head, no prizes for getting it's a botched art restoration, the second in eight years in Spain
and it is no joke. The country's Professional Association of Restorers and Conservators is outraged, telling media that Spain cannot tolerate more
attacks on its cultural heritage.
I will be back with more news after this break. You will hear my extended interview with Cindy McCain, the wife of the late Arizona Senator John
McCain just hours after CNN projected McCain critic Donald Trump lost the state of Arizona to Joe Biden in the presidential election.
That is coming up. Stay with us.
END
