China Bills U.S. $1M for Spy Plane Episode

W A S H I N G T O N, July 6 -- China has sent the United States a $1 million bill for expenses it says it incurred whileholding an $80 million U.S. spy plane for about two months before returning it in pieces, a senior State Department official said today.

"It's nice to know they have a sense of humor," he said, speaking oncondition of anonymity. He scoffed at the scale of Beijing'scharge for personnel costs and repatriating the aircraft.

The EP-3 plane made an emergency landing on the island of Hainanon April 1 after it collided with a Chinese jet that wasshadowing it near China's coast in what the United States sayswas international airspace.

Chinese authorities held the plane's 24-member crew forquestioning for 11 days after the incident, which resulted inthe death of the Chinese pilot but did not seriously hurt anyof the U.S. air crew.

A Reason for Another Row?

The episode roiled relations between the two countries justafter President Bush came to office.

The United States originally had intended to repair theplane and fly it out, but China said allowing the plane to flyoff Hainan would be a national humiliation.

Beijing eventually agreed to let the plane be dismantledand flown out.

The return of the fuselage and other parts of the plane toa Georgia air base Thursday — on a Russian Antonov cargoaircraft — marked an improvement in ties. But the bill clearly left a bad taste in the mouth of U.S.diplomacy.

Promise of a Reciprocal Response

The official said the United States, which is currentlyassessing whether the EP-3 can be returned to service, wouldrespond in kind, apparently by sending a hefty bill back.

"They have presented us with what we would consider to besomewhat exaggerated charges," he said.

Asked if the U.S. side had also sent a bill, he replied,"No," but added, "We'll get back to them in the same spiritthat they got back to us."

Asked what this was, he replied flatly, "Exaggerated."