UK Rolls Out Red Carpet For China
KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. And welcome to News Stream. Now the UK rolls out the red carpet for Chinese President Xi Jinping. Now the visit is being hailed by some as a new golden era in relations. We'll be live in London. Plus, Oscar Pistorius is released from prison and begins life under house arrest. And the future arrives: how a car straight out of a cult classic movie is raising awareness for renewable energy. Chinese President Xi Jinping is making his first state visit to the UK. And Mr. Xi will have a rare opportunity to address the British parliament in just a few hours from now. Now the pageantry, it's all part of a four day state visit there. And as honored guests, Mr. Xi and his wife, they'll be staying at Buckingham Palace. Now, China and Britain, they hope to forge closer economic as well as trade ties during this visit. Now Chinese investment in the UK went up dramatically last year. Now, the American Enterprise Institute says it totaled $8.5 billion, that's up from about half a billion in 2011. And more multi-billion dollar deals are set to be agreed between the two countries this week, including possible Chinese investments in Britain's first nuclear power plant in three decades as well as a high speed rail project. Now, let's head straight to London now for more. Our senior international correspondent Nima Elbagir is live for us outside Buckingham Palace. She joins us now. And Nima, how is Britain rolling out the red carpet and marking the start of this golden era between the two nations?</s>NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it has been an extraordinarily warm welcome, Kristie. A carriage procession up the mile to my right all the way to Buckingham Palace where the president and his wife will be staying during this state visit. A royal salute. And a state banquet this evening. But of course all of this, no matter how finally managed, isn't without its delicacies. The reason that there was such a cooling off period, the deep freeze as it was referred to in some corners in the British-Chinese relations in the first place was because of the heir to the throne, Prince Charles, and his very close personal relationship with the exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama. He is believed to have been integral to the Prime Minister David Cameron meeting with the Dalai Lama when he was part of the previous government in 2012 that led to a distancing in both economic and political ties between Britain and China. And even though both countries are saying that this visit marks a strategic shift, there's the reality that Prince Charles will not be present at this evening's state banquet to contend with. He will be meeting one on one and has invited the president -- President Xi and his wife to tea at Clarence House. But although Clarence House are trying very hard to say that this isn't a snub, it is however just the facts on the ground. In addition to that, you have the leader of the opposition, the labor leader, Jeremy Corbyn, who has been very outspoken about his concerns over the appropriateness of this welcome during a time when many human rights activists believe that China is amidst a pretty extensive crackdown. He will be at this evening's banquet. And many in government have expressed their concern that it would be undiplomatic to bring up any of that at a royal -- during a royal invitation and a state dinner. But this, of course, at its heart, Kristie, is about business. The British government says that they have -- that they are announcing $30 billion pounds, that's over $46 billion worth of investment. That's more than double what was invested by China here last year. And they hope it can only get bigger. They're hoping for more extensive investment in their energy and transport sectors. And they're hoping, they say, to be China's lead ally both politically and economically in the west, Kristie.</s>LU STOUT: As you point out, the heart of this state visit, it is all about commercial interests and business. And we know for sure that the British business community there absolutely thrilled about the visit, but there are a lot of big questions hanging over this, including the question of how far, or even if David Cameron will bring up delicate issues like censorship and human rights.</s>ELBAGIR: Absolutely. And the prime minister has said that he won't shy away from these issues, but the concern is that these issues will be brought up behind closed doors. And so people are worried that they won't be subjected to the scrutiny that they -- that they perhaps need to be. And that's, you know, as far as many human rights activists are concerned that these issues are crucial to having an open and transparent relationship, a relationship that is beneficial to both sides. But, business is important. And business leaders are welcoming this in spite of the recent news that Tarta Steel, the Indian steel giant, is laying off over 1,000 jobs in the UK. And they say that that is in a great part because of cheap Chinese steel coming into this country. The British prime minister is having to argue -- is having to put forward the argument to the British electorate that this will balance out, that closer relationships with China are in the broader interest and are to the greater good. Now he's going to have to do a pretty delicate dance over the next few days to ensure that the Chinese premier, the Chinese president and his wife are not faced with any undiplomatic behavior, as the Chinese ambassador to London has characterized it. He has publicly called upon the leader of the British opposition to behave himself at this evening's state dinner, Kristie.</s>LU STOUT: Nima Elbagir reporting live for us outside Buckingham Palace on a very royal welcome so far for the Chinese president Xi Jinping. Thank you, Nima. Now, Chinese television is due to air a message from Britain's Prince William speaking out against the illegal wildlife trade. Now the prince says 20,000 elephants are killed every year. That is 54 a day. And just last week, reports say that police in Beijing seized over 800 kilos of illegal ivory. And Prince William says China has much to do.</s>PRINCE WILLIAM, UNITED KINGDOM: I am absolutely convinced that China can become a global leader in the protection of wildlife. Your influence in the world means you can change the face of conservation in this century. This will be a contribution that would go down in history, one that your great-grandchildren will speak of with great pride.</s>LU STOUT: Now, China has been destroying illegal ivory seized in raids and has promised to stop the domestic ivory trade. 100 South Koreans on a list of more than 60,000 have been granted the rare opportunity to see their loved ones after decades separated by war. Now early on Tuesday morning, families from the south ventured across the border and they are right now meeting with relatives in the North Korean resort of Mt. Kungon (ph). Now many are elderly, so this could be the last time they see their loved ones. Now CNN's Kathy Novak joins me now live from Seoul. And Kathy, after decades of separation, we now have dozens of families reuniting again today, very emotional scenes, no doubt, in North Korea.</s>KATHY NOVAK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely emotional scenes. They have been playing on South Korean television just in the last couple of minutes, Kristie, and we're just seeing what you can imagine tears and hugs and people just overwhelmed at this opportunity that many thought would never happen. I actually spoke to one of the men who will be getting this very rare opportunity.</s>KATHY NOVAK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Somewhere, past the high-rises, beyond the busy streets of South Korea's capital, behind the barbed wire, Anun Jun knows his sisters are out there. Just by looking in that direction, I remember their faces, he tells me. He has no photos, only memories. When he was 18, to avoid being drafted into the North Korean military, he fled quickly. He didn't even say goodbye. Now at 85, he lives in one of the most connected cities in the world, and he can only imagine how different life is for them. If he could just call, this is what he would say. "I would ask my younger sisters to forgive me. I left them with all the responsibilities. My heart is breaking. I abandoned them" After almost seven decades, he can finally tell them in person. He has consistently applied for the chance to reunite ever since the program began in the 1980s. About 130,000 people in South Korea have tried. Only about 4,000 families reunited. Tens of thousands died waiting. "Words cannot express how happy I am. I feel like I am meeting people who came back from the grave."</s>NOVAK: He'll have to condense a lifetime of stories into the handful of hours they will have together. And your son? He's taking his son with him. Do you think your sisters also have grandchildren? Maybe they will be photos, he says. I hope they bring their husbands. This letter from the Red Cross confirming he'd been selected was the first news he's had of his family and it wasn't all good. His two brothers were never found, and his youngest sister passed away in 1983. She was so young, he says. Still he's grateful he will see the two sisters he has left, preparing gifts for a bittersweet reunion. When he leaves, he will say goodbye, knowing it's almost definitely for the last time.</s>NOVAK: And these reunions are not only brief, they're extremely restricted. They're taking place in large rooms with cameras and authorities watching on. These people really don't get very much private time to talk about real stories. And of course they've been briefed ahead of time that North Korean authorities will not want South Korean families to be sharing too much of the truth about what happens outside of North Korea, so they've been told to stay away from talking about politics. Many are wanting answers like Mr. Aun there. He wants to know about how his parents died, about how his youngest sister died. But in many cases those questions are just too sensitive and will go unanswered, Kristie.</s>LU STOUT: And one only wonders how people like Mr. Aun just emotionally prepare themselves for these intense and very brief family reunions that take place in the DPRK. Kathy Novak reporting for live from Seoul, thank you so much for your reporting. Now, a landslide win for Canada's liberal party and its leader Justin Trudeau. He will become the next prime minister after his party won some 184 seats, giving them an absolute majority in parliament. Now the 43-year-old is the son of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. His opponents painted him as too young and too inexperienced to lead, but he argued that Canadians needed change.</s>JUSTIN TRUDEAU, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER-ELECT: This is what positive politics can do. This is what a positive, hopeful vision and a platform and a team together can make happen. Canadians from all across this great country sent a clear message tonight. It's time for a change in this country, my friends, a real change.</s>LU STOUT: It's time for a change, and this means that Steven Harper's nine year run as prime minister is, indeed, coming to an end. Harper conceded defeat and congratulated Trudeau on the victory. His Conservative Party will now have the second largest party in parliament. Now a new opinion poll will give Donald Trump more bragging rights out on the campaign. Now he is still the front-runner in the Republican race for the White House, that's according to the latest CNN/ORC survey. Ben Carson remains in second. Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio are tied for third with 8 percent support. Mike Huckabee rounds out the top 5. And Carly Fiorina, she has fallen dramatically. Her support is now down from 15 percent to 4 percent in just one month. Now you're watching News Stream. And still to come, an Israeli man has been killed in more violence in the West Bank. The UN chief is heading to the region in a bid to ease tensions after weeks of attacks and protests. And Iran and Russia, they step in to help spearhead the fight for Syria's largest city. Later in the hour, a live report on the Syrian army's offensive that has forced thousands of civilians from their homes. And Oscar Pistorius is out of prison after serving just one year of his five year sentence and we'll show you what's next for him.