China is lashing out at the
United States after President Joe
Biden referred to Chinese President
Xi Jinping as a dictator.
Beijing calling the remark absurd
and an open provocation.
Let's bring in CNN White House
correspondent Jeremy Diamond.
Jeremy, is the White House
standing by the president's
unscripted remarks about XI?
And what are the potential impact
that these comments
could have on this extremely
tense relationship?
Well, this is obviously
a very delicate moment, Alex, in US-China
relations, in the US-China relationship.
But the White House is not walking back
the president's comments at all.
In fact,
a senior administration
official told me that it should come
as no surprise that the president
is speaking
candidly about China
and the differences
between the two countries.
But look, there's no question that inside
other parts of the US government,
there was some surprise,
some consternation
about the fact that the president
would make these comments publicly.
But remember, these came at a fundraiser
where there were reporters in the room,
no cameras,
but there were reporters in the room.
And the president
not only referring to Xi
as a dictator,
but also essentially undermining
how she presents his strength
to the world,
presenting him as weak, essentially
noting that she, according to U.S.
intelligence, did not know that
that spy
balloon was over
the United States, drifting over
the United States
before the US shot it down.
The president
even saying that she was embarrassed.
And so, again,
a very delicate moment
in the relationship
between these two countries.
Secretary of State Tony Blinken just left
Beijing where he had a meeting
with the Chinese president,
which was aimed at trying to get
that relationship back on track.
Now, there are questions
about whether these comments
by the president will upend
that progress.
That senior official
I reference to you
earlier, Alex tells me that
they don't
believe it will, that they believe
that progress will continue
and is sustainable going forward.
And Jeremy,
there's a meeting at the White House
tonight with someone else
who is often accused
of undemocratic tendencies,
the prime minister of India,
Narendra Modi, he's visiting Washington.
You have some new reporting on that.
Yeah, that's right, Alex.
I'm told that these two leaders
will indeed hold
a joint news conference
tomorrow at the White House,
but that was no small feat.
In fact,
it was the result of intense
and lengthy negotiations between the U.S.
and Indian officials.
I'm told that Indian officials
initially balked at the idea
of having a joint news conference
for the two leaders.
The Indian prime minister.
Keep in mind,
he has never held a news conference
where he's taking questions
from reporters.
So ultimately, the U.S.
was initially pushing for a
to and to two American
reporters, two Indian reporters
getting to ask the two leaders questions
Instead, it will be a one and one.
But U.S.
officials here
certainly seeing that as a victory
to get
the Indian prime minister
to take questions,
a sign of democratic values.
And, of course,
press freedoms
which we know have eroded
under Modi's
tenure as Indian prime minister.
This can be a very delicate visit
for Biden to navigate.
Jeremy Diamond at the White House,
thanks very much.
Now we have an exclusive CNN report
on one of the major sources of tension
between the United States and China,
the future of Taiwan.
CNN chief
national security correspondent
Jim Sciutto
got an inside
look at how Taiwan's
military is now preparing
for a potential invasion by China.
Below, what else?
Any possibility?
Commanders of a Taiwanese mechanized
infantry combat team
lay out their battle plan.
So coming up, today's mission,
defending the Penghu
Islands, situated
right in the middle of the Taiwan Strait
from a Chinese paratrooper
assault in rapid succession.
Infantry units storm a captured airfield.
A column of tanks quickly follows
This maneuver is just a
training exercise,
but with a very serious goal
of readying
these forces
to defend Taiwan from a Chinese invasion.
So in the event of a paratrooper
assault on the Morgan Airbase,
our troops will be able
to respond
instantly and defend the territory.
Exercises like this one are almost daily
events on Taiwan's Penghu Islands,
less than 100 miles from mainland China.
They are a first line of defense
for Taiwan against a Chinese invasion
home to Taiwanese army, air
force and naval bases.
And not all operations
for these forces are simulations.
The fact is, I visited Penghu for play.
Air Force fighter jets
entered Taiwan's
Air Defense Identification Zone.
Taiwanese Air Force fighters from a gang
air base scrambled to respond
before they fly.
They are armed with live ammunition
for combat.
Lieutenant Colonel Bisha
Kwan has signed Big Commands,
the Coyote Squadron within your ship.
Sometimes it's reconnaissance.
Sometimes it is training.
Although we're performing combat
readiness missions here,
The training has never stopped.
Are you proud of the job you're here?
Of course.
Taiwanese Navy ships
based here have had close
calls of their own.
And they sail with an array of anti-ship
and anti-air missiles
to do their part
in defending against an invasion.
The Taiwanese military here in Peng,
who is engaged
not just in drills and training,
but in genuine operations, responding
to Chinese military operations
in the Taiwan Strait
And commanders in the Navy,
the Air Force and the Army tell me
their mission
is to prepare to defend their country.
Taiwan
buys billions
of dollars in weapons from the U.S.,
but its defense plan
depends in large part
on developing and manufacturing.
Many of its own weapons,
its indigenous fighter jets
and many of its Navy frigates
and EPCs and tanks are all Taiwan built.
That's our territory water.
We won't allow our countries shoot sales
red launches without permission.
On Penghu,
Taiwanese
military units are widely dispersed
for force protection
to make them more difficult targets
for any invading force.
There's a saying here.
One commander told me,
If you want to take Taiwan,
you have to take Peng who first.
And these forces are training
to make sure that never happens.
Jim Sciutto, CNN,
the Penghu Islands, Taiwan
Thanks to Jim Sciutto for that report.