WASHINGTON - The United States has repeated a demand that China return its spy plane while Beijing said Washington was trying to avoid responsibility for the mid-air collision that sparked an 11-day diplomatic standoff.
Secretary of State Colin Powell and other US officials said Washington was determined to get the
crippled, hi-tech EP-3 surveillance plane back after it was forced to make an emergency landing on China's southern island of Hainan.
"I have to assume that they've been all over it, in it, and it's our plane and we expect it to be returned," he said.
Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld said the plane had had every right to be where it was flying when it was hit.
"They have every right to come up and observe our flight. What one does not have the right to do, and nor do I think it was anyone's intention, is to fly into another aircraft. The F-8 pilot clearly put at risk the lives of 24 Americans," Rumsfeld said.
"It is clear that the pilot intended to harass the (US) crew."
Washington backed up its contention by issuing old video footage showing the same F-8 fighter jet flown on April 1 by Wang Wei, presumed dead since bailing out following the collision that day, flying within feet of a US surveillance aircraft.
The 24 US crew were being debriefed in Hawaii on Friday following their release. "This incident has not finished yet ... The United States has to assume all the responsibilities in this matter and give an answer to the Chinese people," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao told reporters in Havana where he is accompanying President Jiang Zemin.
"In this incident, as you know, China is a victim, and we are going to make an investigation on the plane. What to do about this plane will be decided according to the result of the investigation."
US and Chinese officials are due to meet on April 18 to discuss the return of the plane and related issues, such as whether the United States should be making surveillance flights off China's coast at all.
In Beijing, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said the video footage proved nothing and Washington was just trying to evade responsibility for the collision.
"The US side should take a co-operative attitude and not seek excuses to evade responsibility," Sun Yuxi told Reuters on Saturday. "I cannot see what the pictures prove. The details will be discussed within the scope of the negotiations."
From the outset China has demanded that Washington accept blame for the collision and apologise, but President Bush refused to do so.
Instead, the United States said it was "very sorry" for the loss of the Chinese pilot and "very sorry" that the reconnaissance plane did not obtain permission before landing on Hainan, a formula that China found adequate to allow the release of the crew, which occurred on Thursday.
Powell, explaining Washington's use of words, compared the actions of the Chinese pilot with those of a driver who crosses the central dividing line of the road and crashes into an oncoming vehicle.
"When it's all over and you have escaped, luckily with your life ... and you learn of the death of the other person, you might reasonably say to the family of the other person 'I'm sorry'.
"But your insurance company would never let you say I accept responsibility and I apologise."
- REUTERS
Herald Online feature: Spy plane standoff
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China Daily
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Official site of Chinese Government
China People's Daily
Jane's Military Aerospace: EP3
US Pacific Command
WASHINGTON - The United States has repeated a demand that China return its spy plane while Beijing said Washington was trying to avoid responsibility for the mid-air collision that sparked an 11-day diplomatic standoff.
Secretary of State Colin Powell and other US officials said Washington was determined to get the
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