welcome to world news america in the uk, on pbs and around the globe. we start tonight with the vexed issue of us—china relations, and a key meeting between top american and chinese diplomats in alaska. the us secretary of state is meeting his chinese counterpart for the first time since president biden took office. tensions are high after four years of a trade war between president trump and bejing, and now there's mounting us disapproval of the chinese effort to supress democracy in hong kong. joining us now from anchorage is the bbc�*s state department correspondent barbara plett usher. barbara, it is a pretty snowy background there. is the us secretary of state hoping for any kind of a thought in us— china relations? kind of a thought in us- china relations?— kind of a thought in us- china relations? �* . . , ., ., relations? actually, laura, we were told not to — relations? actually, laura, we were told not to make _ relations? actually, laura, we were told not to make too _ relations? actually, laura, we were told not to make too much - relations? actually, laura, we were told not to make too much of - relations? actually, laura, we were told not to make too much of the i told not to make too much of the metaphor of the chilli alaska whether, but i do not think they are expecting much of a thought. essentially of god the world's two biggest powers coming together to try to figure out how they relation ship is going to work under this new administration, and as you said, it was pretty tough under president trump, especially in his final year, with the pandemic. who can forget the chinese virus, which we kept hearing again and again? mr biden is not going to do that, but he has also signalled he is go to be tough on human rights, but more broadly than that, just on how china operates in the world. the biden administration says they do not operate by the rules of the game when it comes to global issues, they use coercion and aggression and so they want to really stand strong against that, and they have signalled that very clearly before this meeting. what they want from these meetings, there are going to be three of them, laura — they want to sit down with their counterparts and have a frank discussion about what their concerns are, what their expectations are, here from the chinese but also make very clear the chinese but also make very clear the chinese hear from them about what to expect and then go forward from there, and we were told by officials they really want this not to be just an exchange of talking points, they are actually making the effort to make face—to—face rather than by a zoom call because they want to have to try and have a conversation, and so that is what they are hoping to achieve in the next 2a hours, really, in three different meetings. arbour usher come alive there in anchorage, —— barbara plett usher live there in anchorage, alaska. so, that's what's happening today, but how did relations between america and china get to this point? joining us now isjosh rogin, a columnist at the washington post and author of the new book chaos under heaven: trump, xi, and the battle for the 21st century. josh, thank you so much for being with us. did president trump fundamentally alter the relationship and the landscape of us— china relations? and the landscape of us- china relations?— and the landscape of us- china relations? , ., ., , ., ,, relations? there is no doubt that us foreian relations? there is no doubt that us foreign policy _ relations? there is no doubt that us foreign policy moved _ relations? there is no doubt that us foreign policy moved a _ relations? there is no doubt that us foreign policy moved a huge - relations? there is no doubt that us foreign policy moved a huge amount during the trump presidency, for a variety of reasons, one of which was president trump flipped over the chessboard was to be problem was he was not very good at setting it back up was not very good at setting it back up again and his factions competed for his attention and for control of the policy, which is what we saw such a bungled, confusing passage coming out of the trump administration, but we are where we are, the us— china relations are at their lowest point in modern history, and that is largely because the chinese government's actions but it is also because the united states has begun to mount a new strategic approach. i5 has begun to mount a new strategic a- roach. , has begun to mount a new strategic a.roach, , ., , ., has begun to mount a new strategic auroach. , . , ., , ., approach. is there anyway of tension bein: approach. is there anyway of tension being unwound. _ approach. is there anyway of tension being unwound, do _ approach. is there anyway of tension being unwound, do you _ approach. is there anyway of tension being unwound, do you think, - being unwound, do you think, particularly when there is so much animosity over the status of hong kong? animosity over the status of hong kona ? ., , ., , kong? right, what you see with the biden ministration _ kong? right, what you see with the biden ministration is _ kong? right, what you see with the biden ministration is an _ kong? right, what you see with the biden ministration is an attempt - kong? right, what you see with the biden ministration is an attempt to | biden ministration is an attempt to answer that very question, by going to the chinese government and saying to the chinese government and saying to them directly that if they want better relations, their relations with the united states committed behaviour must change, they must stop increasing their internal repression and their external aggression. untilwe find repression and their external aggression. until we find out whether beijing is willing to take the concerns of the international community seriously, including regarding the coronavirus pandemic, we will not know whether or not the situation can get better in the short—term, but you can be sure the biden administration turn up the pressure if beijing does not come back with some sort of indication they are willing to listen to what they are willing to listen to what the world is saying about its actions around the world. [30 the world is saying about its actions around the world. do you think president _ actions around the world. do you think president biden _ actions around the world. do you think president biden is - actions around the world. do you think president biden is going i actions around the world. do you think president biden is going to | actions around the world. do you i think president biden is going to be able at all to unwind the trade war, which is still affecting so many us farmers and so much of us manufacturing? i farmers and so much of us manufacturing?— farmers and so much of us manufacturing? farmers and so much of us manufacturin: ? ~ ., , ., �* manufacturing? i think what you're actually seeing _ manufacturing? i think what you're actually seeing is _ manufacturing? i think what you're actually seeing is more _ manufacturing? i think what you're actually seeing is more decoupling | actually seeing is more decoupling being pushed by both parties, and congress, democrats and republic is are pushing for more domestic many fracturing, technology and research funding, and that is a recognition that although our countries will remain intertwined, actually having a lot of our technological info structure in china did not turn out to be such a good idea after all. as for the trade war, the phase one deal is not going to go away, but it is not what to get improved either. it turns out the trade deal was actually not the most important part of relations and the ongoing tech war, the ongoing economic competition, is only reallyjust beginning. competition, is only really 'ust beginningfi competition, is only really 'ust beaainnin. �* . ., beginning. and meanwhile, that recently declassified _ beginning. and meanwhile, that recently declassified us - recently declassified us intelligence report showed that china thought about interfering in the 2020 election but did not. that does exactly help does it? the? the 2020 election but did not. that does exactly help does it? they did not interfere _ does exactly help does it? they did not interfere as _ does exactly help does it? they did not interfere as much _ does exactly help does it? they did not interfere as much as _ does exactly help does it? they did not interfere as much as the - not interfere as much as the russians, but some inside the intelligence committee believed china interfered in the election more than they usually do in us politics. they have operations around the world, notjust in the united states, they are growing every day and that is something politicians on both sides of the aisle here in washington are taking more and more notice of. our politics are becoming intertwined, but the fact of the matter is that china and the chinese communist party are advancing its interests and its agenda all over the world, often through maligned ways, and thatis often through maligned ways, and that is something the united states and all of its partners and allies are going to have to eventually respond to. are going to have to eventually re5pond te— are going to have to eventually resond ., ., ,, respond to. josh rogin, thank you very much — respond to. josh rogin, thank you very much for— respond to. josh rogin, thank you very much forjoining _ respond to. josh rogin, thank you very much forjoining us. - in recent weeks, the number of migrants arriving at the us—mexico border has increased. in february alone, 100,000 people were arrested. more than 9,000 were children. for many of the migrants, the dangerous journey begins in central america. the bbc�*s marcos gonzalez has been travelling with a family from honduras. here's his report. this family from honduras has been walking for three days, trying to reach the united states, and they've only crossed into mexico. they lost their home because of hurricane eta and gangs asked their money to leave them alone. with no proper shoes on and no money, jacqueline is making this long journey with her family, her four—year—old son and his cousin. after a slow down because of the pandemic, thousands of migrants from central america are now travelling again. this shelter in southern mexico is one of the stops on the migrant route, but because of the increase in the arrival of people this year, the shelter cannot accept all the people waiting here every single day. outside of the shelter, we meet michael. he's 17 and has been walking from honduras for five days. he walked hundreds of kilometres with these worn—out shoes. but michael believes being under 18 and travelling without his parents will help to enter the united states. in the middle of the night, we found jacqueline and her family again. but for them, staying at home in honduras is even more dangerous. the next morning, under the sun and with little water, michael resumes his journey. six hours later, the walking has been a real challenge. michael has no regrets, but he has a message for those planning to make this trip. michael will probably walk all night until the next shelter. he still has a few weeks ahead to reach the border, looking for his american dream. marcos gonzalez, bbc news, mexico. the harsh reality of crossing the border. in other news now: france has announced a new month—long lockdown for the paris region. the prime minister said the country was suffering a third wave of fast spreading variants of coronavirus. nearly 35,000 were recorded in france on thursday. the new measures will take effect from midnight on friday. president biden is sending senator chris coons to ethiopia to raise his grave concerns over the crisis in the northern region of tigray. there are allegations of human rights abuses in the region. last week, the us secretary of state described the violence in tigray as ethnic cleansing — this was rejected by ethiopia. officials from russia, the united states, pakistan and china have called on those attending the afghan peace talks in moscow to immediately discuss a ceasefire. in a joint statement, those officials urged the taliban not to carry out its annual spring offensive and to create an environment in which a negotiated political settlement can be reached. the moscow meeting is supposed to revive stalled peace talks between the afghan government and the taliban. the charity save the children is warning that reducing aid to syria could lead to hundreds of thousands of children losing access to education. since the conflict began a decade ago, thousands of schools have been destroyed, in what the un says is a deliberate ploy by president assad and his allies to terrorise communities — a charge the regime denies. 0ur middle east correspondent quentin somerville reports — and a warning, some viewers may find elements of this report distressing. to be a parent in syria is to carry the world on your shoulders. forabu, his burden is constant vigilance. for years, he has watched the sun set and rise from this hilltop, waiting for the next attack. he is a flight spotter, a one—man early warning system, protecting the village below where his wife and five children live. at the end of another long shift, he calls home. he knows first—hand the fear and the fury the warplanes bring. the screams in this playground are of terror. these are schooldays in syria, an entire generation brutalised and traumatised, as bombs fall by the school gates. how do you break the opposition's will? target their children, their teachers, their schools. there have been thousands of attacks on schools since the war began. they are relentless in opposition areas and come mostly from regime and russian bombs. taken as a whole, it is a systematic terror campaign against children. in october 2016, a parachute bomb dropped steadily onto this school in hass. inside are pupils as young as five years old. 36 were killed in a series of strikes that day. 21 of them were kids. five years later, with their parents�* permission, they told us what happened. the world has turned its back on these children. it is tired of the syrian conflict. the un does what it can, applying a sticking plaster to a haemorrhaging wound. countries are now looking away from syria. britain, for example, is contemplating a 67% cut in its aid to syria. what would that mean for the un? what would that mean for people on the ground in syria? well, we can only give aid to those 7.5 million people we reach every month if we get the money to do so. the un doesn't have a magic... 350,000 fewer kids in school if britain pulls the plug on that money? it will mean feeding fewer people, it will mean fewer kids in school, it will mean less medical services and it is the wrong thing to do to balance the books on the backs of these starving and suffering people. ten years of international failure has left syria a landscape in ruin. this was a normal school day just last week. until the aircraft early warning alarm sounds. carefully, the children pack up and evacuate the school. they know the drill only too well. for syria, this is not history, this is now. quentin sommerville, bbc news. the suffering of syria's children after ten years of war. you're watching bbc world news america. still to come on tonight's programme: a green light for astrazeneca. after some european countries paused the roll—out, eu regulators give the vaccine a clean bill of health. three weeks of mourning has been declared in tanzania to mark the death of presidentjohn magufuli, who's died at the age of 61. officials say mr magufuli died from heart disease, but there've been suggestions that he'd been suffering from coronavirus, which he was known to be sceptical of. zuhura yunus has more in dar es salaam. for the last two weeks, john pombe magufuli, it's almost like he disappeared. nobody knew where he was, stirring rumours about his health within the country of tanzania and outside tanzania. he is the first president to die in power. and less than five months ago, he was elected to be the president of tanzania, which was his last term and the second term. there have been very mixed feelings aboutjohn pombe magufuli. it is not stated yet when he's going to be buried, but it has officially been announced that the country will mourn for 21 days forjohn pombe magufuli. european medical regulators have given the astrazeneca vaccine the all—clear. they've said, in the clearest possible terms, that the jab is safe and effective for use. that comes after a number of european countries have suspended the administration of the vaccine, amid worries that it could lead to blood clots. 0ur medical editor fergus walsh has more. every injection, every vaccine given is another person protected. half a million people a day are getting immunised at present. in hull, there was no sign of vaccine hesitancy over the oxford—astrazeneca jab, which more than a dozen eu countries have suspended using. i was waiting a long time. i'm in my 60s, and i've onlyjust really got mine, so i was just happy it's finally done. ijust took on board, "this is my appointment, this is what needs doing, this is keeping everyone safe, so let's go ahead and get it done." the uk medicines regulator said, after a rigorous review, there was no evidence that blood clots were caused by the oxford—astrazeneca vaccine. it looked in particular at five cases of rare clots in the brain among 11 million people immunised by the nhs. all were men under 60, one of whom died. it said, given the link was unproven, the benefits of the vaccine far outweighed the potential side effects. for those in their 40s, the risk of dying after covid infection is one in a thousand. as a precautionary measure, it is advising anyone with a headache that lasts more than four days after vaccination to seek medical attention. there is no difference that blood clots in brains are occurring more than would be expected in the absence of vaccination, for either vaccine. the public can have every confidence in the thoroughness of our review. and in amsterdam, the european medicines agency has come to the same conclusion about the astrazeneca jab. this is a safe and effective vaccine. its benefits in protecting people from covid—19, with the associated risks of death and hospitalisation, outweigh the possible risks. the committee also concluded that the vaccine is not associated with an increase in the overall risk of thromboembolic events, or blood clots. the prime minister, who is 56, will get his first dose of the astrazeneca vaccine tomorrow and said all adults would be offered a jab by the end ofjuly. 0ur progress along the road - to freedom continues unchecked. we remain on track to reclaim the things we love, _ to see our families and friends - again, to return to our local pubs, our gyms and sports facilities, and, of course, our shops. _ all, of course, as long - as the data continue to go in the right direction, - and we meet our four tests. those in their 40s seem likely to have to wait until may to get their first vaccine, because older people will be getting their second shot and there won't be enough extra doses to go around, due to some supply issues. half of all adults in the uk have now had a first dose of vaccine. the head of the nhs in england, sir simon stevens, got the astrazeneca jab at westminster abbey. safe and effective vaccines will answer all our prayers, to be delivered from this pandemic. fergus walsh, bbc news. as the fallout from harry and megan's interview continues, as the fallout from harry and meghan's interview continues, a collection of letters written by harry's mother diana, princess of wales, is being auctioned today. the letters were sent to a close family friend during the 1990s. sarah ransome has the details. from farmhouse cupboard to auction house strongroom. for more than 20 years, roger bramble has kept safe these personal letters and cards from diana, princess of wales. he was a close family friend, and this correspondence has remained untouched and private, but is now about to become public. it was a little bit like christmas. it was a real sort of treasure trove. for the auction house, helping this royal collection go public was a privilege. i get a sense of a real continuity, you know, she stayed a warm, loyal, affectionate person, no matter what else was going on, and obviously we know that period was a period of enormous turmoil in her life. her relationship with roger, who they were written to, obviously was a constant. written in the 1990s, some thank her friend for champagne lunches and trips to the ballet. 0thers hint at more turbulent times. as diana's marriage broke down, and media scrutiny intensified, having people to trust became increasingly important. i think it meant a lot to her to stay in touch with people she really cared about, and she opened up to roger about lucia flecha de lima, for example, who was a woman who was close to her mother's age. a small number of friends were absolutely key, probably to her sanity, actually. the sale is expected to reach upwards of £30,000, with the proceeds going to organisations close to diana's heart. after reading these, i warmed to her enormously. i think she probably was a lovely person, and i sort of think, oh, she would have been a lovely person to go outwith, to go to one of these wonderful lunches, or something. i think, yeah, it has changed my opinion quite a lot. for the owner, it's not about the money, but the glimpse the letters give into the private world of a princess, who lived so much of her life in the spotlight. sarah ransome, bbc news, penzance. that distinctive signature. and before we go tonight, a young marine scientist from mauritius is taking her environmental message to new depths. shaama sandooyea dove into a remote stretch of the indian ocean, to highlight the importance of seagrass ecosystems. the underwater plant has become a priority for conservationists. it represents a tenth of the ocean's capacity to store carbon. shaama is trying to draw attention to the un goal of protecting at least 30% of the planet's land and oceans by 2030. iam laura i am laura trevelyan. thank you so much for watching bbc world news america. have a great night. hello. for many of us, it was quite a cloudy day and that's how it's going to stay for the next few days. there was very little change on the weather front with high pressure very close to the uk. having said that, in one or two areas, the skies did clear today and it was in fact the warmest day of the year so far in scotland. temperatures got up to around 18 celsius, but that really was the exception for many of us. it was nowhere near as warm. here's the high pressure through thursday evening. it's going to stick around for the next few days, and i think it'll change the shape a little bit but essentially speaking, it means a fair amount of cloud coming in from the north or the northwest. bits and pieces of light rain and drizzle through the night from yorkshire into the east midlands, the southeast too. around six to 7 degrees, but where skies are clearer in scotland, in glasgow, around three degrees first thing. a lot of cloud. damp weather in the morning, particularly across the southeast of the country, but later in the afternoon, it looks as though sunshine will develop from norwich to london, possibly portsmouth as well and also one or two warmer spots in western scotland. glasgow maybe getting up to around 15 celsius. the forecast as we go through saturday and the weekend, the first day of spring, astronomical spring. the high pressure still over us, dragging in that cloud into western parts of scotland and on the whole, i think it is going to remain pretty cloudy across the board. maybe to the east of the pennines, a bit of sunshine developing on saturday, around newcastle and hull. temperatures around 11 degrees or so. second half of the weekend, the high pressure is still with us. this is the jet stream pattern, overlayed. you can see the jet stream's way to the north of us, sending in any weather systems in the direction of iceland. things remained settled as far as the eye can see. you can see the clouds symbols there. temperatures around 12, 13 degrees. the weather is expected to change, and of course it will change, but that is not going to happen until sometime from the middle of next week, where things will turn more unsettled. that's it for me. bye— bye. this is bbc news. nothing to fear from the astra zeneca vaccine says the eu regulator. for all the initial concern the ema confirms the jab is "not associated" with a higher risk of clots. france and italy will start using the astra zeneca vaccine again but the delay hasn't helped the slow pace of vaccinations in the eu. after six asian american women were among those killed in atlanta — vigils are held across america, amid calls for an end to hate crimes against this community also in the programme: the first high level talks between the biden administration and china are underway in alaska. the expectations are low — sub zero low. and officials in taiwan are pleading people to stop changing their name to salmon in order to profit from a free suchi deal.