North Korea Threatens With Short-Range Missile Launches; President Obama in Cuba
ANDREW STEVENS, HOST: I'm Andrew Stevens in Hong Kong. Welcome to News Stream. As the U.S. and South Korea hold military drills, North Korea responds by firing short-range projectiles off its coast. President Obama kicks off an historic trip to Cuba. And once an upwardly mobile star, Xiaomi's growth is slowing, but the smartphone marker tells me why it's not worried. South Korea says the north fired five short-range projectiles off the east coast earlier Monday. It's just the latest in a series of recent provocative maneuvers by Pyongyang. Well, Paula Hancocks joins us now live from Seoul with more on this story. And I guess we shouldn't be too surprised, Paula, given there are drills going on with South Korea and the U.S. at the moment.</s>PALA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Andrew. This is actually quite predictable behavior from North Korea. Every year they are worried by these massive joint military drills between the U.S. and South Korea. They look at them and they believe that the allies are working towards an invasion of North Korea. Now, Washington and Seoul say that's not the case. They say that they are defensive in nature, that's their line every year. But certainly tensions are high each time these drills are carried out. Of course, tensions are much higher this year than we have seen in the past. And we will expect more of these projectiles to be fired up until at least April 30th, which is when these drills finish between the U.S. and South Korea. But we have been seeing an uptick almost daily really in what North Korea has been doing. Either its rhetoric or it's military or nuclear strength, shows of this strength. And so certainly no one is expecting the tensions to ease before those U.S./South Korea military drills calm down.</s>STEVENS: Not expecting the tensions to ease, but could they ratchet up, I mean, go beyond what we are seeing at the moment, the short-range projectiles into something bigger and potentially more dangerous, more provocative?</s>HANCOCKS: Well, it is certainly possible. If you take a look at what we have had this year alone. In January there was a nuclear test. In February, that satellite launch which was widely seen as a long-range missile test. And then with UN sanctions, of course, against North Korea punishing North Korea for those two previous events. And then as I say, that daily uptick in rhetoric or in shows of strength. Now, we heard from South Korean officials saying they believe another nuclear test could be imminent. They at least say North Korea is ready for number five. They say that really all they need is the political green light and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has made it abundantly clear that he wants more nuclear tests. So, I don't think officials certainly here in South Korea would be surprised if Pyongyang carried out another nuclear test so close to the previous one -- Andrew.</s>STEVENS: So, Paula, what is the mood if you would like? How does South Koreans react to news when they see this sort of action once again from the north? Do they just get on with their lives or is there an underlying sort of tension, fear if you like, in South Korea?</s>HANCOCKS: Not that you would see. It certainly is business as normal in South Korea. And when it is these short-range projectiles, there's less concern among officials as well as on the street. Certainly it's the long- range ballistic missiles that everybody is concerned about. Obviously, the short range projectiles, that they are a threat to Japan or South Korea, if used against those countries. But this threat has been around for decades. And so it is nothing new for those countries that are neighboring North Korea. Of course, when it comes to an international ballistic missile test or something like that, that is when the international community really sits up and takes notice. But for the majority of South Koreans, they would barely even notice this short-range projectile, as it just happens so often and has done for decades -- Andrew.</s>STEVENS: OK. Paula, thanks very much for that. Paula Hancocks joining us live from Seoul. Now, as those joint U.S.-South Korean military drills continue, our Ivan Watson got exclusive access to an American nuclear powered ship that's taking part in those drills.</s>IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Somewhere in the sea east of Korea, F-18 fighter jets catapult into the sky, launching off a deck of a U.S. aircraft carrier the John C. Stennis. (on camera): This carrier strike group is here as part of annual joint military exercises with South Korea. This takes place every year and it makes the North Korean government furious. They argue that this could be a precursor to a military invasion of the North. (voice-over): Nonsense, says the admiral in charge here. But he says the presence of the largest war machine in the U.S. military arsenal is designed to send a message to North Korea.</s>REAR ADMIRAL RONALD BOXALL, U.S. NAVY: The provocations and things that you see from North Korea, we hope that our actions here as routine operations help to deter any escalatory actions.</s>WATSON: North Korea routinely shows up its own military muscle. Some experts argue you have to show strength when dealing with this regime.</s>DANIEL PINKSTON, KOREA EXPERT, TROY UNIVERSITY: If you show weakness in the domestic political system in the North Korean authoritarian like North Korea, you`re eliminated. And that`s how it works in the international system. If you are weak, they will bully you and take advantage of you. They only respect power.</s>WATSON: The problem is, this annual show of force, which includes simulated amphibious assaults carried out by U.S. and South Korean marines hasn't stopped North Korea from testing nuclear bombs. In fact, Pyongyang recently fired salvos of ballistic missiles twice in just eight days, in violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions. Just days ago, Kim Jong-un gave orders for scientists to develop the technology to launch a nuclear warhead on the tip of a ballistic missile. Even those who preached power concede Pyongyang is committed to expanding its nuclear arsenal.</s>PINKSTON: They put so much effort and they`re very dedicated to having those capabilities. So, if they`re not reliable, they`re going to keep working so they`ll be reliable and that they can use them if they needed to use them tomorrow, or next month or next year.</s>WATSON: And so, the saber-rattling continues. In addition to this strategy of containment and deterrence, experts say the U.S. and its allies are very likely training for other possible scenarios, such as how to take out North Korea`s growing arsenal of nuclear weapons. If it looks like Pyongyang is about to use them. Ivan Watson, CNN, aboard the U.S. aircraft carrier John C. Stennis.</s>STEVENS: And those drills are likely to continue for another six weeks or so. Let's turn now to Cuba. It has reached a crucial moment in its relations with the United States. The President Barack Obama is now the first sitting American president to visit the island nation in 88 years. Cubans and U.S. officials both hope the visit will help push the Cuban government to further open up its economy. But change, both social and economic, have been slow in that country. Let's bring in CNN's Patrick Oppmann now. He joins us live from Havana. Hugely symbolic that not only the president but the president's family, including his two daughters, going to Cuba. What sort of reaction has there been to the visit so far, Patrick?</s>PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And that's really no mistake, Andrew. You know, it would have a different tone if it was just the president. And really I think priority number one is not just engaging with the Cuban government, but engaging with the Cuban people. And that's why we have seen President Obama do things like do that skit with a Cuban comedian before arriving here. And they are looking for these moments where they can really break the decades-old image of the United States that's been propagated by the Cuban government of this evil empire that wants to take over our country, the imperialists. You know, you still have lots of propaganda posters around Havana talking about how the United States has committed genocide with the economic sanctions against Cuba. And to see President Obama much younger than Cuba's leader, who of course has, like many, many Cubans African ancestry with his family, with his daughters, reaching out to the Cuban people in these events. You know, even walking around Old Havana yesterday where it was pouring rain. You could just see this is so important. They brought umbrellas. And they wanted to have these moments where they can see the Cuban people. Of course President Obama will go to a baseball game tomorrow. And there is no more beloved sport in Cuba. And so there will be more of these opportunities for him to circumvent the Cuban government and have direct contact with the Cuban people.</s>STEVENS: Of course there still is the trade embargo by the U.S. on Cuba. The president has been able to loosen that in some ways through his own executive power. But can he offer anything concrete to the Cuban leaders, to Raul Castro, in return for some sort of easing on human rights or on trade? What can he actually do in a concrete manner, Patrick?</s>OPPMANN: Well, let's take human rights first? And that's something the United States would very much like to see in just hours before the president arrived, there was a demonstration where protesters were arrested en masse. The Cuban government has said again and again really since December 17 that they will not change any domestic policies. And they're talking about human rights there, and so it is very sensitive, because the Cuban government of course feels that the United States is still trying to do regime change in Cuba where the United States says they just want freedom of speech and the right to assembly. In terms of trade, you know, it is advancing slowly. But it advancing. We're hearing hotel chains will once again manage -- American hotel chains will once again manage hotels in Cuba. That hasn't happened since the revolution. There is a huge contingent of not only business people. But Cuban-American business people who have decided that despite the past, now is the time to return and rebuild their country. So, President Obama will certainly be pushing the business issues, which they feel is also an important avenue to bringing change to Cuba right now, Andrew.</s>STEVENS: Yeah, certainly a massive entourage accompanying the president. And one suspects, Patrick, that change in Cuba is now going to be very, very rapid. Patrick Oppmann in Havan, thanks so much for that. Now, Belgian authorities have a new person on their radar. They say he is connected to the Paris attack suspect that they finally captured on Friday. The latest on that investigation when we come back. Stay with us.