Return to Transcripts main page

NEWS STREAM

Japan Nervous After 6.9 Earthquake Near Fukushima; Former ISIS Members Give Justification for Joining Group; Trump's List of Potential Conflicts of Interest; U.S., China Performs Joint Disaster Relief Exercises. Aired 8-9a ET

Aired November 22, 2016 - 08:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


[08:00:16] ROBYN KURNOW, HOST: Hi there. I'm Robyn Kurnow in Atlanta. Welcome to News Stream.

Fear sweeps across Japan after a powerful earthquake strikes near the heart of the 2011 Fukushima disaster triggering tsunami waves. Donald Trump

unveils his to-do list as president, promising to pull the plug on a controversial trade deal.

And the faces of ISIS: CNN speaks exclusively to captured jihadists.

Hi, everyone.

Well, we begin the show in Japan where authorities say aftershocks can be expected for the next several days after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck

off . It's the same area ravaged by a 9.0 magnitude quake five years ago. The tremor generated tsunami waves as high as 1.4 meters. This aerial

footage shows waves traveling up a river in northeastern Japan.

All tsunami warnings and advisories have now been canceled, though.

Well, for the with a 5 point -- this footage shows waves traveling up a river in northern Japan.

For the latest on the impact of the quake Alexandra Field joins me now from Tokyo. Hi there, Alexanra.

How are the Japanese dealing with the quake?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, there have been a number of aftershocks that have been felt throughout the day today, but

authorities have determined that it is safe enough for people who evacuated to return to their homes.

What is interesting is that as we take a look at what happened this morning the Japanese meteorological agency is saying they believe that that seismic

event, that 6.9 magnitude earthquake was actually an aftershock of the 2011 disaster, that 9.9 magnitude earthquake that triggered a tsunami, which

went on to kill some 20,000 people and left that path of hideous destruction and a nuclear disaster at that nulear plant.

CNN crews were out on the ground today talking to people who felt that 6.9 magnitude earthquake today. They were quickly alerted to the tsunami

warning. They heard the sirens. They received text messages. they were told to get to higher ground and they're telling us tonight that this

brought back so much of the deep trauma they experienced from that disaster of 2011.

Listen to what some of the survivors were saying.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I could not describe in words how terrible it is to live in fear. We were all supposed to get out of

temporary housing by next spring, but I am so scared to go home. We might have huge quakes any time again.

UNIDENITIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I felt the rumbling. I knew the quake was coming and got hold of the handrail immediately. First first

thing I thought of was the nuclear plant.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FIELD: She's talking about Fukushima Daiichi, the nuclear plant, of course, that experienced that horrific meltdown back in 2011. All eyes

were on that today as much smaller tsunami waves hit the area, about a meter to a meter-and-a-half high.

But all eyes were also on its sister plant, Fukushima Daini (ph). There was a brief period there this morning where one of the cooling systems

stopped working. It was quickly restored. The operators of those nuclear plants say that there was no imminent threat of danger as a result of that

cooling system stopping. And they do say that there are no abnormalities in the area. They were, of course, carefully monitoring radiation levels

and they say that they picked up no changes.

But, look, this is a community that was devastated in 2011. The clean up at the nuclear

plant is supposed to take 40 years, that's the estimate in order to finish the job entirely. The rebuilding, the reconstruction is still underway.

Tens of thousands of people remain displaced. So, a very difficult day for them as they experienced a small piece of this sensation all over again.

And they go home tonight knowing there's a possibility of more aftershocks. They've got to prepare themselves for also the possibility of additional

tsunami warnings. They know what they've got to do in this case, get out as soon as the warning comes if one should, Robyn.

KURNOW: OK. Thank you so much. There in Japan, Alexandra Field, really appreciate it.

Well, for more now on what to expect, let's go to Chad Myers. You've been monitoring all the seismic activity there, Chad. What do you see?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Important, Robyn, to understand that in a human lifetime of let's say 80 or 90 years, it's nothing like the Earth

lifetime of billions of years. So to think that an aftershock could be, wow, that was five years ago. How could this be an aftershock? In terms

of billions of years, five years is a heartbeat, is a second.

So, there will be more aftershocks along this fault line. And if you take a number, 6.9, we would expect at least one aftershock, to this aftershock

to be a 5.9. But if you go back to the 9.0 that was on the ground that happened just five years ago, there may have been one or still in the mix,

still one 8.0, and then maybe up to 10, up to 10 one magnitude less here, so 9, 8, 7, there may be many, many more of this same size aftershock still

to come.

And it was the water, it's that water pressure that happened when the tsunami warnings went off that people really got -- they were very alarmed,

because it was a 20 meter wave last time. This was a 1.3 meter wave. So significantly less energy. The alarms did go off, the trains were stopped,

subways were stopped, everything happened as it should. But what was really I think -- what we need to know about here is that it was so very

close to where we were not that long ago.

The other earthquake, that 9.0 right about there. This was a 6.9, very strong shake offshore . That offshore lifts the sea floor and that lifting

sea floor pushes water up. That's the wave that comes onshore. It didn't propagate across the Pacific, but certainly at 1.3 meters if you're

standing on the beach is a big wave. That's why it's still time to get back onshore, get away from the water when the ground shakes there.

CURNOW: Yeah, and the good news with this one at least everybody seemed to heed those warnings and not a lot of at least human casualties. Thank you

so very much as always, Chad Myers, appreciate it.

Well, moving on. The U.S. president-elect Donald Trump is lashing out at the media once

again. He canceled a meeting with the New York Times tweeting that the paper covers him, quote, inaccurately and with a nasty tone.

And he claims the terms and conditions were changed at the last moment.

The New York Times told CNN it was unaware the meeting was canceled until it saw the tweet and that it hadn't tried to change the rules.

There's also plenty of controversy following Trump as he makes his cabinet picks and outlines his immediate priorities. Here is CNN's Jason Carroll.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President-elect Donald Trump outlining what he intends to accomplish during his first 100 days in office,

including a pledge to create jobs.

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT-ELECT: On trade, I am going to issue a notification of intent to withdraw from the Transpacific Partnership. I

will cancel job-killing restrictions on the production of American energy, including shale energy and clean coal, creating many millions of high

paying jobs.

CARROLL: And end corruption in Washington.

TRUMP: As part of our plan to drain the swamp, we will impose a five year ban on executive officials becoming lobbyists after they leave the

administration and a lifetime ban on executive officials lobbying on behalf of a foreign government.

CARROLL: But in a two-and-a-half minute video Trump steering clear of some of his most controversial and biggest campaign promises, like building a

wall on the Mexico border, repealing Obamacare, placing a ban on Muslims entering the United States, and no mention of deportations.

TRUMP: On immigration, I will direct the Department of Labor to investigate all abuses of visa programs that undercut the American worker.

CARROLL: This as Trump continues to parade cabinet and senior staff hopefuls past cameras again. Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard

slipping past cameras to meet with Trump. She's the second Democrat Trump has spoken with since the election. Gabbard is now under consideration for

top jobs at the Defense Department, State Department, and United Nations according to a source. Trump also taking time to meet with executives and

anchors from five television networks, including CNN, to address concerns about access.

KELLYANNE CONWAY, TRUMP CAMPAIGN MANAGER: It is an off-the-record meeting. It was very cordial, very productive, congenial, but it was also very

candid and very honest.

CARROLL: Meanwhile, Trump's team on the defensive. Civil rights groups urging the president-elect to denounce the alt-right after white nationals

were captured on video cheering their president-elect in Washington.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hail Trump, hail our people, hail victory.

CARROLL: And capitalizing on Trump's "make America great again" slogan.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For us as Europeans, it is only normal again when we are great again.

CARROLL: Racism and anti-Semitism on full display, audience members giving a Nazi salute.

Without denouncing the alt-right by name, Trump's transition team said in a statement, "President-elect Trump has continued to denounce racism of any

kind and he was elected because he will be a leader for every American."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[08:10:00] CURNOW: Well, CNN's Jason Carroll reporting there.

But Trump's statement denouncing racism won't quell concerns over his appointment of Steve Bannon who ran the website Breitbart until recently.

Bannon, on track to be Trump's chief strategist, has called the site he ran since 2012 a platform for the alt-right. And another key issue we heard

Trump bring up in that YouTube video outlining his first 100 days his intention to pull the U.S. out of the TransPacific Partnership Deal.

Now, that's raised alarm, particularly from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who has essentially said the deal would be a no-go without the U.S.

Well, CNN Money Asia-Pacific editor Andrew Stevens is at our Hong Kong bureau. He joins us now live.

Hi, Andrew.

I mean, what does it mean for Trump to scrap the TPP?

ANDREW STEVENS, CNN MONEY ASIA-PACIIC EDITOR: Well, it means first of all that he is following through on his campaign promise, and he has given

every indication, Robyn, that he firmly believes that these multilateral deals like NAFTA, like TPP, are bad for American and are bad for American

jobs. I mean, he has described TPP as potentially disastrous, taking American jobs.

If you look at what TPP is, it is an agreement between 12 countries with 40 percent of the world's global economic activity opening up their markets to

each other. So the American market will be opened up to 11 other countries and 11 other countries will open up their markets to America.

No one knows whether that is going to damaging for America or not, but certainly is is going to be easier to trade, goods will be cheaper because

a lot of tariffs are being -- would be knocked over. And also underlying that is this push, which really goes to the heart of the TPP, at least

President Obama, that the U.S. writes the rules of trade. It inserts into those rules labor protection, environmental

protection, looking after copyright, those sorts of issues.

Now, they have all gone with the end of the TPP, so we don't exactly know what these bilateral deals that Donald Trump is talking about are going to

look like, whether they're going to include this, but certainly we can't say with any degree of certainty, that jobs would be lost from TPP, neither

can we say the jobs will be hugely gained either. We just don't know.

CURNOW: And it's a way more than just trade isn't it, Andrew? I mean, in many ways this plays into China's geopolitical ambitions. It was also

about U.S. influence and U.S. alignment. And now that's all up in question.

STEVENS: Absolutely.

Geopolitics is very much a part of this. The reason for the TPP geopolitically as far as the U.S. was concerned that not only did they

wanted to write the rules on trade. They wanted to be in a dominant position in a dominant trade body in Asia-Pacific. They wanted to be the

key player. Without that, they lose influence.

And they have lost credibility too. Let's face it, a lot of Asian countries look to America to provide this TPP, to be a part of it. America

has turned around and said sorry, not interested anymore, which has left countries in this part of the world saying, what's next.

The Australian prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull said very pointedly today that TPP would have been good for Australia -- created jobs, created

economic growth. He's not alone in thinking that.

What it does is let China perhaps write the rules of trade on the next big trade deal, which Asia-Pacific will sign up to.

So, China from going outside -- from being outside the tent because it wasn't invited to the TPP is now front and center of the new tent of any

new trade deals. So, China is actually very happy about that.

CURNOW: Yeah, good point there. Thanks so much. Andrew Stevens in Hong Kong. Thank you.

And this just in, Kellyanne Conway, the former campaign manager and now senior adviser so President-elect Donald Trump told MSNBC's Morning Joe

show that Trump does not intend to pursue an investigation into Hillary Clinton.

During the campaign, of course, he riled up crowds by telling him he'd appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Clinton over her handling of a

private email server when she was secretary of state.

She has been cleared by the FBI of any wrongdoing.

And we have heard a lot from high ranging officials on what they think of how Trump is doing on transitioning into the White House.

And what, though do the American people think? Well, a new CNN poll suggests the country is divided. No surprises there, 46 percent approve,

45 percent disapprove of Trump's performance thus far. 53 percent believe he will do a good job, and 44 percent disagree.

Now, when it comes to the economy, more people believe Trump will be able to handle it better than did for either Barack Obama or Ronald Reagan at

the beginning of their terms.

While voters largely remain confident in how Trump can handle the economy, his sprawling business empire is creating a lot of concerns about conflicts

of interest. And CNN's Drew Griffin explains, separating the president- elect from his global brand might not even be possible.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CHIEF INVESTIGATIVED CORRSPONDENT (voice-over): It's started with what was billed as a courtesy call. Japanese Prime Minister

Shinzo Abe slipping in a back elevator at Trump Tower to meet the president-elect. Trump's daughter, Ivanka, in attendance. But neither

reporters or their cameras were in a meeting, which reportedly included a gift to Trump of a golf club, like this one, a gold driver worth nearly

$4,000.

Then came the two businessmen from India who own Trump-branded properties south of Mumbai.

According to the Trump Organization, it was just another social call and --

KELLYANNE CONWAY, DONALD TRUMP PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN MANAGER: I'm very confident he isn't breaking any laws.

GRIFFIN: But the meeting is raising questions. While it is not illegal for a sitting president to run a business, it is a question of optic and

ethics.

A CNN analysis shows Trump has business dealings in 25 countries, including Saudi Arabia, China, Azerbaijan.

A month ago, there was worry that the Trump brand was being destroyed by his run for office but since November 8t h, things have changed. And

financial experts say the only possible solution to end all of the conflicts of interest is for Trump to sell it all, put the money in a blind

trust and end the Trump empire.

[08:16:12] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course, a blind trust can work but you have to sell the assets. You can't put them in a blind trust and pretend

you don't own them.

GRIFFIN: Here's why it probably won't happen. A large part of the business is Donald Trump. Trump partners a I cross the globe are buying this right

to license that brand. It brings more rent money for office space, condos and hotel rooms. The brand also comes with the Trump Organization expertise

in design, marketing, operations, almost like a franchise, business partners buy in because it sells. And the Trumps stay involved to make sure

the brand doesn't get tarnished.

Daniel Liebersohn (ph), a south Florida developer, took over a failing Trump property and fought to keep the brand because he wanted to make sure

he had access to Ivanka and Eric Trump in almost every part of the con deal.

DANIEL LIEBERSOHN (ph), REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER: We want the association and they wanted the continuity of brands, and it is profitable for everybody.

GRIFFIN: In a FOX News debate earlier this year, Donald Trump said, instead of selling off the brand, his solution is to pass the brand to the people

he has groomed to take it over, all named Trump. Not exactly a blind trust.

TRUMP: I have Ivanka and Eric and Don sitting there.

Run the company, kids. Have a good time. I'm going to do it for America.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CURNOW: Well, CNN's Drew Griffin reporting there.

You're watching News Stream. Still ahead, reports of new attacks on civilians in Aleppo, Syria. We are looking at the toll the war is taking.

Also, a CNN exclusive, a former ISIS member described and they describe why they were lured into joining the militant group. That is just ahead. Stay

with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:20:03] CURNOW: Well, activists say another day of intense bombing in eastern Aleppo has killed at least 27 people.

Now, it's been nearly a week since Syrian government forces launched a new round of airstrikes in rebel-held areas. And 350 people have been killed.

Rescue teams say it's the worst bombing since Syria's civil war started in 2011. A young Syrian boy who was apparently wounded in a chemical attack

was inconsolable as he told nurses what happened to him. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOY (through translator): Mommy, oh mommy.

UNIDENTIIFIED FEMALE (through translator): What happened to you, sweeite?

BOY (through translator): I was in Ard al-Hamm. I was watching warplanes. And it dropped something. I saw yellow smoke, I felt something and then

they took me to the hospital.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Is anyone hurt, your siblings?

BOY (through translator): Yes, my siblings. I don't know where they are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CURNOW: Well, our Will Ripley has been following developments from Istanbul. He joins us now.

Hi there, Will. I mean, it is so hard -- these childrens' stories really show us the impact of what's

happening there on the ground.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There really aren't words to describe how horrible that video is. For one the fact that this young boy was likely

exposed to chlorine gas is what has been suspected of being dropped in East Aleppo by the Syrian regime, although there is no official on the ground

confirmation, of course, because the United Nations isn't being allowed in to east Aleppo Syrian and Russian forces right now.

But the belief is and activists on the ground claim that Syria is dropping barrel bombs that are fully chlorine gas, which has this choking effect on

people. A family of six was killed. There was a video, a very graphic video, that was posted online by the Aleppo media center claiming to show

very graphic video posted claiming to show evidence that this family had been killed by chlorine gas, but again that's unsubstantiated, although

there was a UN investigation in late August that did find evidence that the Syrian regime has indeed used chlorine gas. So both sides of the conflict

have -- there's verifiable proof that they've used chemical weapons.

Russia and Syria are also accusing the rebels that are controlling East Aleppo of firing artillery rounds with chlorine gas as well into the

neighborhoods in west Aleppo and they say that there have been people who have gotten sick on the western side, the government controlled side of the

city.

So, clearly there are plenty of atrocities to go around, but it is just inconceivable that the world has allowed children like that young boy, and

so many others, to suffer and die during this conflict.

CURNOW: So, the question is what is being done, what can be done, what hasn't been done. Ambassador Samantha Power, the U.S. ambassador to the

UN, was speaking to the UN security council. And she threatening to prosecute Syrian generals for war crimes. How likely is that?

RIPLEY: Well, at this point it's just rhetoric. She listed the names of several top military officials in Syria essentially saying we know who you

are. And she pointed to past historical examples where people who thought they could act with impunity during times of conflict with the support of

whatever regime they were fighting for were then later, perhaps decades later, prosecuted and in many

cases sentenced to death for their war crimes.

And so she was basically eluding to the fact that when this is over, whether it being next year, 10, 15 years from now, that the world will not

forget the names of these people who are committing what is widely agreed upon to be war crimes against innocent civilians in east Aleppo.

CURNOW: Will Ripley, thank you very much.

Well, now to a CNN exclusive. Three former ISIS fighters -- militants -- a fighter, a spy, a money man -- have offered their justification for joining

the terror group. The men were captured by Iraqi forces and are now prisoners in a secret facility. Well, CNN's Phil Black spoke with him

about what they had to do as members of ISIS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A secret jail in northern Iraq, around 1,000 men are being held here, all are accused of

supporting ISIS. Kurdish authorities allowed this exclusive access. Three of the captives agree to speak to us. They insist freely and without

coercion about the important and very different roles they played in a recent large scale ISIS attack.

Laith Ahmed was one of the ISIS fighters who stormed Kirkuk on October 21st. This security video captured the operation designed to distract Iraqi

forces from their main focus, the battle for Mosul.

The video shows the moment Laith Ahmed was shot in the leg. He crawled away to be captured by furious locals.

Laith Ahmed tells me when ISIS took over his village west of Kirkuk more than two years ago they offered him a salary so he signed up. On the day of

the Kirkuk attack he says he was driven there and told to fight. Now he says he wants nothing to do with ISIS.

[08:25:18] LAITH AHMMED, ISIS FIGHTER (through translator): I made a mistake. I don't know how to read or write. Everything I did was wrong.

BLACK: Akram Ahmed was responsible for reconnaissance. He's 20, grew up in Kirkuk and worked in a mobile phone repair shop. He says he liked the

religious messages he'd heard from ISIS but it all seemed distant to him. Until he was asked to help the group directly.

He says an ISIS member approached him and told him to shoot video of key strategic sites around the city. Army and government buildings, a key road

and bridge. He did. This is the video and the sites were later attacked.

(On camera): How do you feel about the suffering that your actions have caused?

AKRAM AHMED, ISIS FIGHTER (Through Translator): Everything that happened is my fault. I always think about it.

BLACK (voice-over): Abdelrahman al-Azy says he was the money man. After pledging to ISIS a year ago, he says he was used by a sleeper cell in

Kirkuk to make cash deliveries to fighters and their families. He also admits driving a gunman to murder someone on the orders of a local ISIS

commander.

Al-Azy says he strongly believed in the group, its teachings and its many horrific acts of violence carried out against those considered un-Islamic.

(On camera): What do you believe should happen to non-believers like me?

ABDELRAHMAN AL-AZY, ISIS FIGHTER (Through Translator): If I'm speaking in the past, we believe in Islam that non-believers should be killed.

BLACK: And you still believe that?

AL-AZY (Through Translator): Now, no. Someone in the prison explained to me that the prophet's neighbor was a non-believer and he never attacked him or

killed him.

BLACK (voice-over): Just four weeks ago, these men secretly worked to help ISIS spread its murderous ideology, launching an attack that killed 96

people. They now have disavowed the group. A Kurdish court will judge their actions and sincerity.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CURNOW: Phil Black there.

Well, still ahead on News Stream, there may be tension between the U.S. and China, but the two nations are working together this week. Just ahead,

what's behind this rare joint military exercise.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(HEADLINES)

[08:31:28] CURNOW: And during his campaign for president, Donald Trump slammed China's economic policy. Now there are concerns about relations

between the two countries. But last week both nations managed to put aside any differences to conduct a joint disaster relief exercise.

But could a Trump presidency change even this kind of cooperation?

Well, to help answer that, CNN's Matt Rivers joins us now from Beijing. Hi there, Matt.

MATT RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Robyn, like many countries, China and its leaders are wondering what kind of policy the Trump

administration will craft when it comes to their own specific country. And so the president-elect certainly has not shied away from talking about

China on the campaign trail.

But when he did so, as you mentioned, he really tended to focus more on the economic side of things. And he really didn't talk hardly at all about

another big issue and that would be the relationship between the U.S. and Chinese militaries moving forward. So, how the Trump administration will

deal with the world's second largest military is one of the biggest questions that remains unanswered.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RIVERS(voice-over): Scenes of cooperation in southwest China as U.S. and Chinese soldiers work together to free a victim trapped in rubble or to

treat an injured person or build a bridge to rescue people trapped on the other side of a river. It's a joint disaster relief exercise overseen by

top U.S. and China commanders.

(on camera): This is the fourth such disaster relief drill since 2013. And it is a show of good will from both sides.

But this friendly atmosphere going on here is a strake contrast to what's going on not far away from here, where the U.S. and Chinese navies are

locked in a tense standoff in the South China Sea.

(voice-over): Since 2012, the Chinese have seized territory and militarized artificial islands in the region. In response, the U.S. has sailed warships

and flown planes nearby. The delicate stalemate is part of a complicated relationship between the world's two largest militaries that the new U.S.

commander-in- chief will have to manage.

But what will U.S. President-elect Trump's military policy towards China look like? In short, it's hard to tell. Trump largely avoided the issue on

the campaign trail, driving home an anti-China economic message instead.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: We can't continue to allow China to rape our can country. That's what they're doing.

RIVERS: Some analysts have speculated Trump could give China more of a free pass in the South China Sea. Instead, focusing on other issues like trade.

But others point to who might join Trump's administration and say a "tough on China" policy could be in the work.

TONG ZHAO, RESEARCHER, CARNEGIE TSINGHUA CENTER FOR GLOBAL POLICY; Very conservative people who really embrace very anti-China rhetoric.

RIVERS: Trump's pick for national security adviser, retired General Mike Flynn, said, quote, "China should certainly be viewed as an enemy of the

United States."

Retired General James Mattis, a top contender for defense secretary, last year, called for a, quote, "police to build the counterbalance if China

continues to expand its bullying role in South China Sea."

(SHOUTING)

RIVERS: Back at the disaster relief exercise, CNN asked another expert, four-star General Robert Brown, commander of the U.S. Army, Pacific, what

advice he would give to the Trump administration on China if asked?

GEN. ROBERT BROWN, COMMANDER, U.S. ARMY, PACIFIC: The more you can build relationships, it leads to trust. When you have trust, you can have

differences.

RIVERS: Those differences were put aside at this joint training.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

RIVERS: But it will be up to Donald Trump and his administration if any more group photos will be taken in years to come.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[08:35:09] RIVERS: And you know, Robyn, I talked to several American officers at this training. And they said they got along really well with

their Chinese counterparts, but whether the politicians who command both sides can get along as well, well that's another situation entirely.

CURNOW: Yeah, it always is, isn't it?

Matt, tell us also, when we're talking about flashpoints there, and you laid out some of them in your piece, what is Beijing saying about the Trump

administration's possible stance when it comes to North Korea and of course South Korea's missile defense system?

RIVERS: Right. Well, there is a plan in place currently that would see the deployment of a a defense system in South Korea by United States forces

some time later next year. Whether the Trump administration moves forward with that or not is still an open question. But experts I've talked to --

now keep in mind, China certainly does not want that missile defense system to be deployed, and experts I've spoken to have said the Chinese leaders

might look at the decision that the Trump administration makes here is kind of a bellwether, an indicator if you will as to how the administration will

deal with China militarily, geopolitically, in this region. Safe to say, Robyn, China's leaders watching very closely to any of these early

decisions that will be coming out of the Trump administration.

CURNOW: Like everybody else. Thank you so much. Matt Rivers, there in Beijing. Appreciate it.

You're watching CNN. Still ahead, why makers of a new car engine are hoping their design

will revolutionize the auto industry. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CURNOW: Taiwan's TransAsia airlines is going out of business. The airline canceled all flights on Tuesday without giving a reason at first. After a

board meeting, TransAsia's chairman said the board decided to dissolve the company because of financial problems. Taiwan's central news agency

reports the government has launched an investigation into insider trading of the airline's stock. Trading was suspended on Tuesday.

Now, a new idea for an old engine technology could change the auto industry. And Israeli engineer has come up with a way to make the piston

engine much more efficient. Now, the design is caught the attention of at least one major automaker. Oren Liebermann has CNN's inside look as the

new engine is put to the test. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Only one thing matters at Spa (ph) in Belgium, at the Formula One testing circuit speed is king.

Every drop of energy pulled from man and machine.

And if this is where you build up speed, the engine testing lab is where you create power. This is where revolution is coming together, a complete

redesign of the piston engine.

SHAULI YAAKOBY, INVENTOR: You think the engine and you see that the modern engine, you find a huge number of parts fully electric, fully computerized,

you can do nothing and at the end of the day you don't get the result that you ask for.

LIEBERMANN: Shauli Yaakoby is the mind behind the Aquarius engine. He's brought his engine here for testing. CNN was allowed inside the lab to see

the engine tested for the first time.

YAAKOBY: As a driver you don't care about what actually drives is car, you just want it to function properly. So, the question was why do we need

this rotating gun machine? Is it the only way to achieve the energy? And the answer is no.

[08:40:16] LIEBERMANN: The basic piston engine has barely changed ever since it was put in a car in the 1890s. The engine in a Model T Ford works

much like the engine in a Porsche, for that matter everything in between.

The outside of the cars may look completely different, but the inside is very much the same.

Look at this 3D model of an eight cylinder engine. The piston in each cylinder fires in one

direction, only when it goes down and it only fires every other time it goes around, that linear motion, up and down, is turned into rotational

energy.

Aquarius, an Israeli startup, wants to change that. The piston in the Aquarius fires in both directions, in this engine, left and right. And it

fires every time it moves back and forth. The piston then drives an electric motor. On today's electric cars, Aquarius says this engine could

increase range and fuel efficiency.

Pierre Detre, who is an engineer with 30 years experience with high- performance engines. The genius of this one, he says, is its simplicity.

PIERRE DETRE, AQUARIUS CHIEF ENGINEER: Why simple? Because you bring definitely few parts means also fewer friction inside the engine. And this

brings high efficiency for the engine.

LIEBERMANN: Peugeot is already evaluating this new Israeli technology. Aquarius says they are in touch with other car makers as well. Co-founder

Gal Friedman (ph) says they cannot say which ones.

GAL FRIEDMAN, AQUARIUS CO-FOUNDER: In less than two years, we already have three generations of working engines. This is very fast, especially for a

country that has no environmental -- an ecosystem of engine manufacturing.

LIEBERMANN: In the well established automobile industry, revolutions are slow and expensive. This, Friedman say is the dawning of the Age of

Aquarius.

Oren Liebermann, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CURNOW: Thanks to Oren.

Now before we go, there is bad news for fans of Kanye West. The rapper has canceled the remainder of a tour that had already been marked with some

pretty bizarre behavior. A source close to his family says he is in the hospital being treated for exhaustion. The rapper has been pretty vocal

recently, ranting about the U.S. election and racism in America.

Now, he also angered fans in Sacramento on Saturday canceling his show after just two songs.

Well, that was News Stream. I'm Robyn Curnow. Don't go anywhere. World Sport with Alex Thomas is next. Thanks for joining us.

END