U.S.-China Talks Take Turn for the Better
B E I J I N G, April 19, 2001 -- Despite a tense start, talks between the United States and China on the spy plane incident have ended — for the moment — on a positive note.
After a 90-minute meeting in Beijing today, both sides indicated the nature of the talks were productive, but they offered very few details.
"I'll simply say we covered all the items that were on the agenda and I found today's session to be very productive," said Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Peter F. Verga, the chief U.S. negotiator.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry described the talks as frank and useful for both sides. "The sides have agreed to keep in touch, and future talks will be held at a time and place to be determined through diplomatic channels," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said.
The negotiations began with a tense start Wednesday after China refused to discuss the return of the $80 million EP-3 Aries II that has been on Chinese soil since it collided with a Chinese fighter jet and was landed on Hainan island April 1.
The impasse was broken after U.S. Ambassador to Beijing Joseph Prueher visited the Chinese Foreign Ministry to lodge American concerns about China's failure to discuss the return of the spy plane and threatened to break off negotiations.
China then changed its mind, U.S. officials said, and a second day of talks got underway.
But it was not clear what progress was made.
The Blame Game
Relations between China and the United States have been tense since the collision. The 24-member crew of the spy plane was detained in China for 11 days before being released.
However, China's failure to release the EP-3E Aries II thas added to the tension in the current round of talks.
In Washington, some experts believed there were still a number of issues to be resolved between China and the United States. "I do not think these talks went well," Kurt Campbell, a former official in the Clinton administration, said on ABCNEWS' Good Morning America today.
After the initial period of strong rhetoric on both sides, China today released details of their own version of what happened on April 1.
Chinese officials released new still photographs of the EP-3E itself, and pointed out paint marks on the propeller and damage to the nosecone and antennas they said was proof the American plane rammed the Chinese jet — proof the Americans were responsible for the accident.
China holds the United States responsible for the collision and the death of Wang Wei, the Chinese pilot whose plane ripped into two before nosediving into the South China Sea.
In an attempt to whip up patriotism, the state-owned Chinese media have portrayed Wang as a national hero. He has been featured on several magazine covers and has a Web site devoted to his honor.
The South China Morning Post, a Hong Kong-based daily, today reported there was a major funeral service planned for Wang, which Chinese President Jiang Zemin — who returns from a diplomatic tour around South America today — is expected to attend.
But China has not confirmed reports of the funeral.
Impact on Taiwan?
Today's round of negotiations come as the administration decides on a package of new arms exports for Taiwan — a decision that could come as soon as next week. Taiwan has requested sophisticated Aegis shipboard radars, PAC-3 anti-missile systems, diesel submarines, P-3 anti-submarine aircraft, and other advanced equipment — all opposed by Beijing.
In addition to obtaining the return of its spy plane, the U.S. delegation says it intends to convince Chinese officials that their pilot swiped the U.S. plane while flying too close.
Beijing maintains the American pilot "rammed" the Chinese jet, and is demanding an end to all U.S. intelligence-gathering flights conducted near its coastline. ABCNEWS' Terry Moran and Ann Compton in Washington, Martha Raddatz at the Pentagon, and David Wright in Beijing contributed to this report.