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China's President Xi Jinping Wraps Up U.S. Trip with White House Tea, National Archives Tour; Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey Plan Urgent Military Meeting; Iran's President Addresses U.N. General Assembly; A.I. and Tech Bosses Attend White House Dinner; Pair Creators Flood the Web with Dubious Political Content; World Food Programme Warns of "Triple Chokepoint Crisis"; Senate Republicans Push on Affordability Amid Midterm Concerns; Trump Meets Xi for Final Day of Chinese Leader's State Visit. Aired 10a-11a ET
Aired September 25, 2026 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:48]
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: And welcome to the second hour of the show from our Middle East programing headquarters. I'm Becky Anderson
here in Abu Dhabi, where the time is just after 6:00 in the evening.
This hour, the U.S. president and first lady are preparing to greet their Chinese counterparts for the final day of what's been a landmark U.S.-China
summit. Later, they'll tour the U.S. National Archives following a day of pomp, pageantry and politics. The U.S. president hosted a state dinner at
the White House on Thursday, where President Xi envisaged a new chapter in U.S.-China relations. They also held discussions throughout the day on
A.I., on Taiwan and on the Iran war.
Mike Valerio has been monitoring what he's been seeing and hearing in Washington. He's in Beijing with more.
Mike, very specifically, I want to ask you what you make of Xi's language throughout this visit.
MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And you know, that's being picked up here by observers and everyday folks like on the subway or on the bus or riding
their bike to work in mainland China. The language that Xi Jinping is using is clearly either phrases being coined or phrases being ground in historic,
sweeping language to try to convey that even though there might be, like we talked last hour, Becky, a short list of deliverables, this moment from the
Chinese point of view is different in terms of how America treats China.
So let's go through kind of like the greatest hits, three bullet points of some notable phrases that we've seen. I hate to make this the first one,
but the era of constructive strategic stability is something that was coined in May and has been again used this month in September. And
essentially, you know, I know it's a little bit of a headache, but it means stability. No more whiplash, no more runaway tariffs, something that is
predictable, a relationship far away from the nadir of the Biden administration, and certainly the first Trump administration.
Then we go to Thucydides. If, you know, constructive strategic stability wasn't enough, Thucydides, who lived 2,400 years ago, the great Greek
philosopher and historian chronicling the rise of emerging power Athens versus the established power Sparta. Xi Jinping has brought up Thucydides
to say, you know, we can't fall into the trap that he chronicled more than two millennia ago in terms of small disagreements, small things between
Athens and Sparta, leading to a wider war, leading to wider catastrophe between the two societies.
Win-win and making America great again. Certainly notable that Xi Jinping said make America great again not once but twice in the White House
yesterday, mirroring Trump's own rhetoric. But rhetoric certainly runs into reality. And we think of Taiwan first and foremost, the Iran war, A.I.. But
when you think of Taiwan, we still don't have any clarity on whether or not this arms sale we talked about yesterday is still going to be delayed.
It seems very doubtful, Becky, that the American position on Taiwan is going to change since that's where most of America's most valuable A.I.
chips come from. The Iran war, will any help come from Beijing based on, you know, these high pronouncements? It doesn't seem like it at this point.
And then A.I., unclear how this A.I. dialogue will work. We have Xi saying that A.I. needs to work for the benefit of humanity.
But we have President Trump saying, you know, he likes where A.I. is right now. He wants to let competition, you know, rip and roar as it will. So,
you know, there obviously is the rhetoric notable for what's being said to mark that this is a different moment. But, you know, it's back to reality
when Xi leaves Washington, D.C., the reality of governing these two superpowers, Becky.
ANDERSON: And we're going to see the two presidents in the hours to come. I guess, from the perspective where you are, we heard, as you say, Xi talking
about sort of win-win, make America great again. Is the perspective in Beijing then that this has been a sort of rip roaring success?
[10:05:10]
VALERIO: Yes, I think that could be the understatement of the evening, because, I mean, this is a moment where China is being seen as a peer to
the United States. You know, I was thinking about it coming into work tonight and like, you know, like our children, our grandchildren are not
going to remember September 2026 as an indelible White House moment. But will they -- what they will remember is the attitude shift of when China
found an effective way to check the United States with rare earth minerals.
With this trade war coming to a screeching halt almost a year ago, and the palpable shift from the Trump administration saying, you know, OK, we have
met this impasse, we are going to start treating China differently. That I think is acutely felt by people from shopkeepers here in Beijing, people
you meet at rest stops in Guizhou Province. So I think that is what's going to be remembered. And that is certainly being felt here in Beijing right
now, as this meeting is almost over in the next couple of hours.
ANDERSON: Yes. Good to have you, mate. Thank you very much indeed. Mike is in Beijing for you.
Well, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey planning an urgent meeting of their military chiefs as Houthi attacks on the kingdom of Saudi Arabia intensify.
The three countries, of course, signed a mutual defense pact last month. Now they are discussing how to support Saudi Arabia under that agreement.
CNN's Matthew Chance is in Riyadh and he joins us now.
What do we know about this meeting, Matthew?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, I mean, look, it's potentially a first step towards trying to bring that Mecca defense
pact, which, as you mentioned, was signed in August into an effect. The military component of that pact was that an attack on one of those
countries, Saudi Arabia, Turkey or Pakistan, is regarded as an attack on all of them. Obviously modeled on Article Five of the NATO treaty.
And so this is a really first test of that because Saudi Arabia, which is the real money, of course, in that troika of nations, is coming now under
sustained attack from the south, from Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have been carrying out ballistic missile attacks at various locations across the
country. Drone attacks as well, targeting what the Houthis say are sensitive sites, but also energy infrastructure targets in the country, and
having some success in doing that as well.
And it's a huge problem for Saudi Arabia because they are now sort of caught in between two fronts, if you like. On the one side, to the east of
the country, there's the Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz being essentially cut off to the vast majority of Saudi oil exports, as well as
the energy exports of other Gulf Arab states as well. That's a huge problem for the country. It's alternative route was on the other side to the west,
where it exports oil via the Red Sea and the strategic you know, access point there.
And that's now under Yemeni Houthi control. And they're threatening Saudi shipping. And so there's a real sort of sense of anxiety in this country
right now that the economic situation, the conflict, could cause an enormous amount of problems here.
ANDERSON: Marco Rubio, the U.S. secretary of state, has said that the United States will, and I quote him here, live up to its commitments with
Saudi Arabia amid this Houthi escalation. To date, what sort of support has the U.S. provided? And what does that commitment look like, Matthew?
CHANCE: Well, I mean, that's a good question. And it's something that the Saudis themselves are deeply insecure and concerned about. I mean, the
crown prince has called out twice, has reached out twice to President Trump requesting much stronger military assistance from the U.S.. He wants the
U.S. to strike Houthi positions to push them back away from the Red Sea so the threat against Saudi shipping is lifted.
But he's refused to do that. That's a red line for the U.S. president at the moment. What the United States is doing is providing targeting data and
intelligence to the Saudis. They're saying that should be enough for them to tackle this alone. There's also being a step up, as we've just talked
about, from assistance militarily from other countries, potentially Pakistan, potentially Turkey. France has said that it will commit military
forces to a strategic port area, anti-missile defenses and things like that.
[10:10:08]
Britain has said it will increase its military support for Saudi Arabia. But none of them can offer the kind of intensive, profound military support
that the United States is able to offer. But it's choosing not to for various reasons -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Matthew Chance is in Riyadh for you. Time there is 5:10. It's 6:10 here in Abu Dhabi.
Iran's foreign minister says his country has offered a new proposal to the United States to restart negotiations towards a, quote, "final deal" to end
the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's president also says his country wants a negotiated settlement.
Masoud Pezeshkian talked to reporters in New York on Thursday, a day after addressing the U.N. General Assembly. He described Iran's economic
struggles and denied his government is directing Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. He also laid blame for the war on the United States in an interview
with FOX News. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MASOUD PEZESHKIAN, IRANIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We did not choose war. The war was imposed on us. We do not seek war. Rather, whenever
they attack us, we are forced to defend ourselves. We never started a war. But if they wish to keep fighting with us, we will respond strongly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Frederik Pleitgen has been in and out of Iran during this past seven-month conflict, talking to leadership there on his visits, and he
joins us now in following these developments from Berlin, where he is today.
I just wonder how Pezeshkian's visit then is being perceived in Tehran. I mean, is it being seen as a win?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, so far, Becky, he's been getting very rave reviews from large parts of the Iranian
leadership. Of course, one of the things that we keep talking about is that, of course, there are several power centers within Iran, and some of
them sometimes at odds with one another. It is a very robust political discussion inside Iran.
But certainly from what we've been seeing, and I've been keeping an eye on these reactions from some of the hardliners, also from some of the
moderates, it's been getting very good reviews for that speech coming from the Revolutionary Guard Corps, coming, for instance, also from Iran's chief
negotiator, Mohammad Barak Ghalibaf, who is, of course, the head also of Iranian parliament, the speaker of Iranian parliament.
And there were two things that people who were reviewing this speech really were zeroing in on, that were very important for them. On the one hand, of
course, Masoud Pezeshkian said that he actually rewrote his speech after U.S. President Donald Trump came out and threatened to annihilate Iran in
his own speech at the U.N. General Assembly. Masoud Pezeshkian then saying, look, Iran is not going to bow to the United States.
That was very important for folks in the government inside Iran. But at the same time that Iran was open to negotiations with the United States and a
possible settlement, if one materializes. The other thing that was very important in the run up to that speech, Becky, really also talked about a
lot in Tehran is that the Iranians wanted to make the case and showcase, once again, that they were the ones who were attacked, that they were the
ones who were suffering civilian casualties.
Of course, the two big incidents that Masoud Pezeshkian spoke about was the school in Minab, near the Persian Gulf, that was apparently hit by a United
States missile, of course, a CNN investigation showing that seems to be the case as well, with a lot of civilian casualties there. And the second
incident in Lamerd where a sports hall was hit and many people were also killed there.
So those two things very important for Masoud Pezeshkian. And one thing, you know, I've actually seen Masoud Pezeshkian also speak in Iranian
parliament. He is a very strong speaker, and he is also someone who is willing to go off script, off message when he wants to make a point. And
clearly that's something that he did there at the United Nations General Assembly, and certainly something that is getting very good reviews inside
Iran -- Becky.
ANDERSON: So is there any sense as to how this offer is being received in Washington? Any sense from Iranian sources on feedback? I mean, they did
talk about being open to, certainly Pezeshkian did, being open to lowering Iran's enrichment levels. I mean, is this the sort of thing that would move
the needle with the U.S. do we believe or is this just -- I mean, there's so much mistrust between the two countries at this point. What's your
sense?
PLEITGEN: Absolutely, absolutely. Huge amount of mistrust. And that mistrust has only increased after the memorandum of understanding between
the United States and Iran has pretty much been thrown by the wayside. And I think right now for the United States, one of the most important thing
for them is they don't want to go back to what the memorandum of understanding was.
[10:15:07]
They want to move forward as fast as possible if they do come back to talking to the Iranians, to speaking about the nuclear program as well. And
I think the Iranians have now come to realize that the MOU in its form that we saw when it came into force is not something that the United States is
willing to accept anymore. At the same time, the Iranians want to go back to essentially the terms in the language of that memorandum of
understanding.
For the Iranians obviously the most important things are for the U.S. to end its naval blockade, for the Iranians to be able to export oil and gas,
and also, of course, for sanctions to be lifted and for some of their frozen assets to be released. At the same time, it seems as though the
Iranians are indicating, if what we're hearing from the proposal is correct, that they are willing to move along to talks about their nuclear
program as fast as possible.
And we've always had that big issue between the United States and the Iranians, where the United States has essentially said they would like to
see zero enrichment from the Iranians. But the Iranians saying that, look, they have a right to a civilian nuclear program and a right to enrichment,
and how that is going to be brought to pass, how both sides are going to come to agree to one another, is really up in the air.
But the big question is, how fast would talks move on from they're back to essentially the language of the memorandum of understanding, to then moving
forward to nuclear talks? And I think making that process as fast as possible very important to the United States. But of course, there are so
many other factors that we've seen at play and so many things that jeopardize any sort of diplomatic solution to this.
Nevertheless, if we believe the Iranian foreign minister, then it certainly seems as though right now there is that proposal that is in play -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes. Moving forward to the sort of discussions that were being had, let's remind ourselves eight months ago, in January in Geneva, of
course. And here we are at the back end of September with so much that's gone on and the Strait of Hormuz and indeed the Bab al-Mandeb now clearly
creating havoc.
All right. Thank you for that.
Well, you're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. Still to come, as Trump and Xi discuss A.I., Nvidia's chief executive tells CNN regulation is not the
answer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Some of America's most powerful tech executives joined President Trump and Xi at last night's White House dinner in Washington. A.I., one of
the big issues that is being discussed by the two leaders and their teams, with debate over the need for regulation, of course, intensifying certainly
in the United States and in other places in recent weeks.
Among those at the White House last night was Jensen Huang. He's the CEO of Nvidia, which is, of course, the world's top designer of A.I. chips. He
spoke to CNN's Anderson Cooper ahead of that dinner and told him that regulation is absolutely not the answer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENSEN HUANG, CEO, NVIDIA: The government should have a say in regulation.
[10:20:02]
You just got to focus on what you want to regulate. And so I'm not against regulation. Does the current situation require regulation for it to be done
right? The answer is no. What the current situation needs is technology. It needs containment systems. It needs monitoring systems. All the regulation
in the world won't change the fact that you need those, the technology. And so I would advocate, number one, to accelerate the development of that
technology.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: All right. Well, Scott Singer is the co-director of the China A.I. Initiative at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. And he
joins me now live from New York.
This has been such a sort of polarizing and noisy discussion, debate over the past, what, couple of weeks. We've heard from Donald Trump, he says
this is a race the U.S. has to win. No guardrails. He calls all this sort of A.I. safety talk just a hoax. You heard Nvidia CEO there saying it's the
industry that should exercise self-restraint rather than rely on government regulation. You're hearing the same from the head of Meta, for example.
Where does China stand on the issue of regulation? We know that the U.S. certainly is determined that China is sort of behind them at this point.
And we know that China is pressing ahead. What's their position?
SCOTT SINGER, CO-DIRECTOR, CHINA A.I. INITIATIVE: China has the world's most extensive regulations in A.I.. The primary concern has been control
over the information environment, making sure that the messages that LLMs output are consistent with core CCP narratives on issues like Tiananmen
Square or Taiwan. The issues in regulations have expanded, for example, to include human-like A.I., which covers things like A.I. companions.
And I think that the Chinese experience demonstrates that ultimately there can be regulation. And during this period where China has regulated over
the last five years, they've actually caught up and made a lot of ground.
ANDERSON: What do you understand to be the current discussions between the U.S. and China when it comes to A.I.? What are the priorities and how high
up, if at all, are the conversations about standards, codes and regulation?
SINGER: Well, I think that for now, the primary goal is to establish a permanent channel to talk about shared risks and to identify areas of
cooperation. Both the U.S. and China are very excited about this technology. They believe that it can deliver many benefits. But what we've
seen over the last few months is that there are just risks that cross borders. Weve already seen incidents of A.I. agents that are hacking into
the internal infrastructure of other countries. And if that were to happen in the U.S.-China context, it would require a coordinated response.
And so I think where the conversation might go over the next few months is figuring out how to share some information, creating an information channel
to mitigate some of the risks. It's an imperfect solution to these challenges, but it's at least a foundation upon which to build.
ANDERSON: Let's just have our viewers have a listen to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. He was at UNGA this week in New York. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAM ALTMAN, CEO, OPENAI: We are at a crossroads. One path leads to a world where power is concentrated, decisions are opaque, and people feel that the
most important technology of their lifetime is something being done to them. The other path leads to a world where A.I. works for people because
people, through democratic institutions, help decide how it should develop and guide it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: There are two big issues here, aren't they? And when you cut through all the noise, there's the issue of what's known in the industry as
misalignment, which is these frontier models misbehaving, getting out of hand, doing their own thing. And we've seen the evidence of that reported
by OpenAI and Anthropic. And it's really worrying people.
The other is of misuse, of course, the nefarious use by characters of these A.I. agents, you know, to build sort of, I don't know, you know, weapons
by, you know, bioweapons or whatever. You listen to Sam Altman there. What is your considered opinion? You know, we've had this conversation about,
you know, A.I. can kill us and all the rest of it. And I think people are really, you know, trying to sort of drill down and understand exactly, you
know, what is going on here.
It is not too late at this point. We can still mold or shape the way that A.I. is certainly developed, used, and indeed regulated. Correct?
[10:25:08]
SINGER: That's correct. You know, when it comes down to policymaking, it is the job of a policymaker to listen to the full range of technical voices
and to plan for different possibilities and different scenarios. And if you listen to the tech CEOs, they're genuinely very concerned about the
potential for A.I. to be misused and possibly at their models aren't aligned. And so this is going to require substantial investment in
safeguards.
It's going to continue to require considerations about who has access, and it's going to require an ongoing conversation about what it means to build
A.I. safely. And if it comes a time where A.I. cannot be built safely, then that's going to require international coordination.
ANDERSON: Do you agree that, you know, the sort of anxiety inducing kind of debates and discussions and arguments that have been had over the past
couple of weeks sort of are avoiding the sort of what feels like the very obvious situation here. We are hearing a lot of politicking, highly
polarized in the United States just six weeks away from these midterms. We're not hearing a lot of talk of policy.
And I wonder whether you genuinely believe that the United States and China, you know, are going to be prepared to share key information and
communicate effectively in a crisis or before a crisis so that, you know, we are having these conversations out loud on policy and on regulation
before it is too late.
SINGER: You know, there is so much political noise that is happening right now, but underneath it, there are bipartisan efforts to govern this
technology. You see bills that have support from Democrats and Republicans, which would do a fair bit to increase transparency into what models are
doing and how companies are, you know, making sure their models are safe. There's bipartisan support for making sure that companies report when there
are critical safety incidents.
You know, this does have bipartisan support. And so I hope that both the U.S. and China are able to build up this domestic infrastructure. It
already exists to some extent at the state level in the U.S., but neither the U.S. nor China have at the national level. And that's really the
critical next step that both sides need to take in order for the international channel to function effectively.
ANDERSON: Yes. I mean, it's -- this is not -- none of this is going to happen overnight and we know these discussions have been going -- ongoing
now for years. You know, countries are not new to this, the sort of punt or the sort of man and woman on the street might be. It's a question of just
how much energy there is, an ambition, I guess, for this to be sort of, you know, multilateral stuff.
It's good to have you. Thank you very much indeed for joining us.
Well, with midterm elections in the United States just weeks away, U.S. Republicans are scrambling to shift the needle with voters. Just ahead, why
inflation is setting alarm bells ringing at Republican campaign headquarters. More on that after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:31:03]
ANDERSON: Welcome back. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi. You are watching CONNECT THE WORLD. These are your headlines.
And the leaders of the U.S. and China are meeting right now on the final day of Xi Jinping's state visit. The presidents and first ladies will have
tea before visiting the National Archives in Washington. On Thursday, Xi said he foresaw a new chapter in relations with the United States.
Well, Iran's foreign minister says his country presented a new proposal to restart talks with the United States and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Abbas
Araghchi spoke after meeting U.S. negotiator Steve Witkoff this week on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. White House official described the
talks as positive and constructive.
Pope Leo has arrived in Paris at the start of a four-day visit to France. French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed him earlier at the Elysee Palace.
He is due to lead mass. That's the Pope, that is. Lead mass later at the Notre Dame Cathedral and rounds off the day by presiding over a prayer
service at France's biggest sports stadium.
Well, influencers are dipping their toes into Politics ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, but some of them are getting paid to spread misleading
content without saying what they are actually promoting is an ad.
CNN's Tom Foreman with this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You have to work 47 percent more to afford rent in Texas compared to California. The cost of living in
the Lone Star State is unbearable.
That was the essence of the claim in this TikTok from a user going by the name Drew. A post so popular the California governor's social media feed
shared it twice. But "The New York Times" found Drew was not his real name. The math was made up. And in a later post, since deleted, he admitted the
whole thing was backed by an app offering money.
DREW, SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT CREATOR: So they were paying me to post very left-leaning stuff about how Texas was super expensive and how it has been
hard for me living in Texas. I don't even (EXPLETIVE DELETED) live in Texas. I'm from Utah. I'm in Florida right now.
FOREMAN (voice-over): It's part of what the "Times" called "an army of paid creators carpeting the Web with political content," from the left, right
and center pushing social media engagement that seems like a grassroots movement.
KEN BENSINGER, REPORTER, NEW YORK TIMES: You can normalize something online by repeating it a billion times, and that's essentially what these things
are trying to do.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Here's how it works. Social media users connect with an app or Web site of unclear origin, promising payment for basically
scripted posts about chosen candidates or issues. By fulfilling the orders, the users push those subjects deeper into the online debate where social
media algorithms then see the topics as popular and push them even more.
BENSINGER: It's really cheap, it's fast, it's agile.
FOREMAN: It's not broadly illegal, but in a word, it is advertising. And even though Drew did not respond to "The New York Times'" request for
further comment, he did have thoughts after he says his deal was cut off.
DREW: Really (EXPLETIVE DELETED) up, though, because you have so much stuff on your reels that isn't labeled as ads, it's just people making videos
about stuff that really is an ad.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It doesn't matter if you live here or here.
FOREMAN (voice-over): That's key because traditional political ads must reveal who is writing the checks.
REP. JAMES TALARICO (D-TX): And I approve this message.
FOREMAN (voice-over): But the federal rules dictating that don't apply to this paid online content. So who is behind all this influence on American
politics just grows murkier.
BENSINGER: We found many, many accounts in Pakistan, Nigeria, Philippines. Hard to imagine they have much connection to it, but they know how to cash
a check, I suppose.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: A triple chokepoint crisis. That's the dire warning from the World Food Programme at the United Nations this week.
[10:35:03]
The organization's acting chief is pointing to blockades and disruptions, of course, in the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea and the Black Sea, leading
to a sharp rise in food prices and causing millions more around the world to go hungry.
Well, the World Food Programme is now asking for $13 billion to help meet the needs of 110 million vulnerable people in this calendar year because
food is only going to get more expensive with some of the key components of growing crops also stuck in those chokepoints.
Well, I spoke this week to Carl Skau, who is the acting executive director at the World Food Programme, about these huge challenges, his group and
others are facing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CARL SKAU, ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME: These chokepoints are driving up energy prices, but also food prices, and that's
hitting the most vulnerable hard because in most of the poor countries, people who are vulnerable are spending all their money already on food. So
if the price go up 20 percent or 30 percent, well, they eat 20 percent, 30 percent less.
But also, as you alluded to, this is also hitting our operations. And so our costs are up 20 percent, 30 percent, whether it's in the Sahel or in
Asia because of the fuel prices going up. And so it's hitting on all fronts. But I think what's important here is that this is not the only
factor that is now driving up hunger. It's compounding what's already there, which is conflict, which is the main driver, but also extreme
weather events.
And with El Nino around the corner, you know, these three layers, conflict, disruptions to maritime trade, and extreme weather events, that's really
what's causing this perfect storm right now.
ANDERSON: You're in New York engaging, of course, on the sidelines of UNGA, the UNGA. What, if anything, has been achieved there this week?
SKAU: Well, I think what we've really put on the table is to mobilize more resources for these response, and that for all countries to realize that,
you know, this is also -- its about solidarity for sure and it's about humanitarian imperatives, but it's also about self-interest, because,
frankly, hunger also fuels instability. Hunger fuels conflict. I mean, a hungry family has basically only three choices. It's to starve, it's to
migrate, or it's to join a rebellion of some kind, or to turn to negative coping mechanisms.
So all this is not good for anyone. So my job here in New York this week is really to bring those voices of our teams, but also the people we serve to
the meeting rooms here. And, you know, I was just in Sudan before coming here. And that's a place where you see all these pressures play out.
So I was in El Obeid, which is the front city now in the Cordovans that are seeing . And the war rages on there. I think that's important to say.
Frontlines are moving. You know, I was in El Obeid when hundreds of families were arriving because their village had been burned a couple of
days before. You know, their husband had been killed. Their older sons had been taken away.
So that's happening right now in Sudan. But El Obeid is also a place that when these displaced people arrive, we're not able to serve them more than
maybe half a ration.
ANDERSON: You're talking about some of the most marginalized communities in the world, and rightly so. But what happens when, frankly, the sort of food
insecurity issue hits everyone, like when Australia's wheat production falls 17 percent next year, as predicted, or when France sees a 40 percent
year-on-year drop in maize production. What will statistics like those do to the idea, the perception, of food insecurity?
SKAU: Well, it's deeply concerning, because what it means is that globally, food prices will be going up. You know, our concern is that there will be
added pressures on budgets in our donor countries and that solidarity with the hungry globally is going to come down. And so that funding for our
operations can risk coming down even further.
We are fighting back. You know, we are trying to be as efficient as possible using A.I.. And we're also trying to work differently. We
anticipate crisis. So we invest in prevention before the crisis hit. And we are really trying to work with strengthening the resilience of communities
so that they can withstand some of these shocks and also get back on their own feet much earlier so that we cannot need any emergency assistance. But
really, the gap is just growing between the needs and the resources to support available.
ANDERSON: Do you see glimmers of hope anywhere?
SKAU: We have also had events here in New York on school meals. More millions of children every year are getting school meals. And that's such a
wonderful concept because it doesn't only provide a nutritious meal to children once a day. It brings kids to school, not leaves girls. And when
the food is procured locally, it also something that boosts the local economy.
And so it's a concept that many countries are now rolling out. They own it, they finance it, and it's really having a huge impact on nutrition for
children and much beyond that. So I think that is really the good news story of this UNGA.
[10:40:05]
ANDERSON: Finally, the WFP has named U.S. President Trump's nominee, Luke Lindbergh, as its next executive director. Given the agency's somewhat
contentious relationship with the Trump administration, what is your message to the incoming leader? What's the key piece of information he
needs to your mind as he takes on this job?
SKAU: Well, you know, he takes over a brilliant organization with amazing staff. And so we look forward to continue to deliver and take forward his
vision for the organization, navigating these historic challenges. I mean, Hungary is at historic levels. Last year we had two famines. This year,
there's at risk of famine in four countries. I mean, the challenge couldn't be greater, but the team at WFP keeps on fighting every day on the front
lines.
And so excited to take on this new chapter for the organization. And really have his leadership and vision take us through these next few years.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Carl Skau talking to me earlier this week.
We are monitoring the White House live for you, where the U.S. president and first lady are due to meet with the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, and the
Chinese first lady. Again, this is the last day of Mr. Xi's state visit to Washington.
Well, stay with CNN for that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well ahead of the fast-approaching U.S. midterm elections, Republicans scrambling to finalize a strategy to win over voters. Inside
their Senate campaign headquarters Republicans are reportedly pushing for action to bring down prices.
Well, Rina Shah is a geo political adviser and strategist. She's also a senior adviser at Republican Legacy, a group advocating for the party's
return to its traditional principles.
It's good to have you. Look, it's not over until it's over. But certainly the polls suggesting that the Democrats could win both the House and
potentially the Senate, both Houses of Congress. The U.S. midterms just a month away, and oil prices, big motivators at the ballot. A recent CNN poll
showing 73 percent of Americans disapprove of the president's handling of the economy.
How big an issue is this for the GOP?
RINA SHAH, GEOPOLITICS ADVISER AND STRATEGIST: Yes, it's good to be with you today. I think right now where we're sitting, a lot of people are
asking, are we seeing a civil war inside the Republican Party? I say it's just math right now. Voters in Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and Florida,
they can all read a gas pump.
[10:45:02]
When diesel hits record highs and the war is seven months old after being sold as just weeks, I think it's candidates in tossup races that start
talking like their voters talk. That's not exactly disloyalty. I think that's a survival tactic there.
What is important to remember, though, is the base still loves the president. It's just the math that really doesn't. But what I hear you
asking me is, can Republicans outrun an unpopular war?
ANDERSON: OK.
SHAH: Yes. Well, look, the short answer here is that --
ANDERSON: No, go on. And that answer to that is --
(CROSSTALK)
SHAH: Almost none can hide it. Yes.
ANDERSON: Yes. That's interesting. And of course, the president facing criticism over his foreign policies and his handling -- overall handling of
the presidency, 67 percent of Americans disapprove. The numbers are looking very low across the board. His base, what, around about sort of 33 percent,
34 percent, maybe as high as 36 percent. But that's, you know, below what would be needed to push Republicans into a, you know, a perfectly
comfortable position in these midterms.
You know, we hear a lot of talk that Donald Trump isn't paying attention to the midterms. That's not his focus. What we don't know is whether he is
paying attention to these numbers that he's seeing on approval ratings or disapproval ratings as it were. And is there anything to be done this close
to the midterms?
SHAH: Well, look, history is blunt here. In 2006, Republicans tried to separate from a very unpopular war, and they still lost the House. Now you
can localize, you can talk diesel, fertilizer harvest, but you cannot pretend the war is happening on another planet when every trucker and every
grain elevator feels it. The trap here, though, is if they run against the war now, the president can punish them with the base. If they run with it,
then independents walk.
That's why you're seeing some of the candidates scrubbing Web sites, and you're seeing grocery store advertisements instead of a real governing
strategy. So again, you can change the --
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: All right. I'm going to interrupt you. Apologies. I do -- and thank you. I do just want to get to the White House where the U.S.
president is now welcoming Xi Jinping and his wife. Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Mr. President, did you call on President Xi to stop buying oil from Iran?
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Any new guardrails on A.I.? Mr. President, why are you banning media outlets?
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Why should U.S. -- should U.S. taxpayers pay for ads about you, Mr. President?
ANDERSON: All right. Let's get you to the White House then the U.S. president and first lady, Donald and Melania Trump there with the Chinese
leader and his wife for the third and final day of Mr. Xi's state visit. The couples will have tea at the White House shortly before a visit to the
National Archives. These are the first pictures we are seeing of President Trump and Xi together through the television pool since the network
suspended pool coverage amid the White House's decision to bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico. A ban of course a federal judge has now temporarily blocked.
Right. And I want to get to Kristen Holmes.
As I understand it, CNN's access to the White House, Kristen, has been restored. The TV pool does appear to be functioning as normal. So get us up
to speed on what is going on there. I think you could probably hear what I heard, which was a lot of questions called from those gathered in the press
gaggle there to the president, none of which he answered.
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Right. And it's not that surprising that he didn't answer. Hold on, let me take this out for a
second. I can hear myself. Give me one second. So just when it comes to substance, there have been an enormous amount of questions as to what
exactly came out of this. There has been pomp, there has been circumstance, there has been glitz, glimmer, this lavish state dinner.
But on actual topics that are points of contention between these two countries, talking about artificial intelligence, the fate of Taiwan,
trade, just some of the examples, we haven't really heard anything in forms of actual deliverables. And that's why you're hearing some criticism, is
what exactly was this trip.
For President Xi, it was a chance to show himself next to the president of the United States, to show their relationship, to kind of get this giant
welcome from the president of the United States.
[10:50:05]
It will be interesting to hear if the White House puts anything out about what the United States is getting in return. And this is going to all
culminate with a trip to the National Archives, as you noted. I mean, this is the home of some of the most sacred texts on U.S. democracy, the
Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights.
And these two leaders are going to take a tour of the Vault of Records, where these documents are held, which is quite the juxtaposition when you
know that President Xi is the leader of the largest communist country. But that will wrap up the full three-day state visit, which President Trump did
not get everything he wanted out of it, just in terms of press coverage because of his ban and because of the fact that the pool itself wasn't
there to capture some of the early images, where there was a lot of that pomp and circumstance, specifically on that South Lawn where you saw them
today when President Xi first arrived.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Mr. President, did you call on President Xi --
ANDERSON: We talked ahead of this trip about what we expected to hear discuss and what sort of atmosphere we should expect. And we heard from
both sides about restoring this sense of sort of predictability if nothing else. I think it would be fair to say from most of the sort of takeaways
that I can see, certainly, if that's what was the sort of, you know, the baseline, as it were to, you know, success, it does feel as if perhaps
that's been, you know, a result this time. Would you agree?
HOLMES: I would agree just in the sense that if that's what President Trump wants, we know that's what China wants. China has said repeatedly that they
want some kind of normalization. They've kind of pointed at the idea of Trump without saying it as being kind of erratic on the world stage. The
trade is one example of that.
But in terms of normalizing, I mean, if you talk to other Republicans in Washington, they don't want a normalized relationship with China. They view
him as a brutal dictator, the leader of a communist country. They do not believe that China operates in good faith. We heard them on Capitol Hill
discussing this. So whether or not there's actually going to be a normalcy in these two relationships.
The other thing that, you know, when you talk about normalizing relations, you also have President Trump out of one side of his mouth talking about
how if we don't beat China in artificial intelligence and the race to A.I., we lose the race overall. He obviously views them as a competitor as well.
So just how normalized can these relationships be? Now, I will say just in terms of using the word normal, I would also use the word steady.
Remember what was happening, you know, past last May when there was a back and forth between China and the U.S. going back and forth over tariffs and
trade and the entire global markets were crashing. It seemed to be affecting the entire global economy. These are obviously two of the biggest
economies in the world. So there has been some stabilization of that.
But overall, you know, most Republicans and most Americans don't want a normalized relationship with China. But they would like to see, of course,
a stabilized global economy.
ANDERSON: Gotcha. Kristen, good to have you. Thank you.
HOLMES: Thank you.
ANDERSON: You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. There is a lot more news ahead. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Right. Before I let you go tonight, Japan's latest character craze tapping into people's deepest anxieties.
[10:55:08]
Now don't let the cozy appearance fool you. Chikawa is darker than it seems. Think passing a difficult exam, fighting for a job, just trying to
survive. These are the types of struggles Chikawa and the rest of the gang are up against, and that seems to be resonating with millions. It's now a
huge hit across Asia with fans seeing their own lives reflected in the storylines. Chikawa started as a serial on X, and it's now a short form TV
show, and this summer, a film.
That's it for CONNECT THE WORLD. You can find me online at BeckyCNN, on Instagram and on X. Stay with CNN. "ONE WORLD" up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
