Well this is the latest, seems to be calming down: Thursday April 5 12:27 PM ET Standoff With China Eases By GEORGE GEDDA, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - The standoff with China over a downed reconnaissance plane showed signs of easing Thursday. China's ambassador called at the State Department and the White House said ``we have reached a diplomatic point where matters are heavily engaged.'' A senior U.S. official told The Associated Press the situation had improved over the last few days. Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites), in a letter to Beijing, reiterated U.S. concern and regret for the death of a Chinese pilot whose fighter collided with the U.S. craft over the South China Sea, the official said. -----Original Message----- From: Nick McClure [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2001 11:45 AM To: CF-Community Subject: Re: The sitaution with the p3 Orion in China Just out of curiosity, just how much of the data and equipment do you think got destroyed before the plane was boarded? At 09:42 AM 4/5/2001 -0500, you wrote: >I forgot to mention that the Chinese need U.S. $$$. This is the best reason >for them to let this go. The fact that they've reacted this way indicates >that there may be some internal struggles going on between the politicians >and the PLA (People's Liberation Army). > >Chris >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Erika L Walker" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: "CF-Community" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2001 9:06 AM >Subject: RE: The sitaution with the p3 Orion in China > > > > That's the first real reason I've heard of in the past few days. That >makes > > total sense to me.....however....doesn't it kind of put the US in between >a > > rock and hard place? How long can the Chinese hold on to our crew members? > > > > Erika > > > > "What's good about telling the truth is there's nothing to remember." - >John > > Ford Noonan > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Chris Michl [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2001 9:39 AM > > To: CF-Community > > Subject: Re: The sitaution with the p3 Orion in China > > > > > > I was one of the "spies" in the back of the Air Force equivalent to the >EP-3 > > for 8 years, so I guess I feel I'm somewhat qualified to comment here. One > > of the reasons the U.S. can't simply apologize is that the crew is still > > being held captive. > > If the U.S. apologizes there is a possibility that the Chinese will put >the > > crew on trial and use the admission against them. IF an apology is due >(and > > I doubt it is) it should be made AFTER the crew is returned. > > > > Remember too that the crew is being interrogated -- in fact, the pilot is > > now separated from the rest -- so anything said by the U.S. government or >in > > the Press can, and will, be used against them. I've got only a little bit >of > > experience in being interrogated, but believe me, it can be a frightening > > and confusing experience. > > > > Chris > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Ang�l Stewart" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: "CF-Community" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2001 8:02 AM > > Subject: The sitaution with the p3 Orion in China > > > > > > > It's because to do that would indicate some wrong doing on America's >part. > > > http://centurychina.com/plaboard/uploads/EP-3.jpg > > > > > > Inspection of the damaged P3 ORion is consistent with the Chinese claim > > > that, > > > "Our aircraft's heading was 110 degree. The US aircraft was flying 400 > > > meters to the right of ours and in parallel. The US plane all the sudden > > > made a large maneuver, it turned inland ward and toward our plane, it's > > nose > > > and left wing colided with one of our plane, causing it to lose control > > and > > > crash into the sea." > > > > > > Here is a picture of the J8 aircraft. > > > http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/row/j-8-2_11.jpg > > > > > > Now by ICAO standards, the slowest moving plane in the sky has the right > > > away, and in this case the P3 would have been that plane..so if the >pilot > > > veered away its up to the Interceptor, the CHinese, to maintain > > > seperation.There are also unconfirmed reports that the second J8 fired > > > cannons over the bow of the P3, forcing it down in China. > > > > > > The normal procedure in that situation when a plane is damaged and pilot > > > bails, would have been for the J8 to have orbited the area where the >Pilot > > > went down, to assist SAR. However, the pilot obviously had other things >on > > > his mind, and one has to question what the heck China's true intentions > > were > > > when they sent those two planes. Perhaps it wasn't just for 'intercept'. > > > > > > But think about how an American would feel if circumstances were >reversed > > > and a Chinese plane that was SPYING on America killed an american pilot! > > > COuld you imagine the outrage?? > > > Why should the world, or Americans expect a different reaction from the > > > Chinese themselves, a culture far more rigid and focused on maintaining > > its > > > sovereignty than America's culture?? > > > > > > America won't apologise, because it can't admit to wrong doing in this > > > case...whether they were right or wrong, because it would set a bad > > > precedent for the future. It's not like they are going to STOP spying on > > > China. > > > > > > However, the American response to threaten China and to draft bills in > > > parliaments to block their entry from the World Trade Organisation, and > > also > > > to somehow influence their eligibility as a site for the 2008 olympics > > isn't > > > kosher either. > > > > > > China could very well have returned the pilots a long time ago, the > > extended > > > length of time that they are keeping them, and questioning them however >is > > > necessary to appease its public, and also to save face. It also seems to > > > suggest that the P3 was onto something, since they have boarded the spy > > > plane and removed equipment. > > > > > > Its a very very edgy situation right now..because we are talking about > > China > > > here, America needs ties in the Chinese economy..and their relation with > > > China can also affect their relationships with other countries in that > > > region.Don't forget the ongoing situation with Taiwan. > > > > > > You can read more on the Chinese view of the matter here: > > > http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/asia/jan-june01/chinaamb_4-4.html > > > > > > Henry Kissinger had this to say about the incident: > > > "HENRY KISSINGER: To say we are sorry, we can say we are sorry for the > > loss > > > of the Chinese airplane and for the... we are sorry for the loss of life > > > that has been caused. The spy planes are not a pleasant thing for the > > target > > > of this spy plane. But when you operate in international waters and if >it > > is > > > a fact -- which I believe it is -- that we operated in international > > waters, > > > it is the legitimate right of the United States to do that. It is also >the > > > legitimate right of the Chinese to shadow these planes, and what we have > > > here is an accident that two planes in close proximity, one of them >veered > > > into the other, and whoever did the veering should be determined by some > > > sort of factual investigation. For the Chinese, the issue of sovereignty > > is > > > something that is tied to 150 years of feeling discriminated against by > > > colonialists. And then there was the recent incident, the recent -- a >few > > > years ago -- where the Chinese embassy in Belgrade was bombed. " > > > > > > Note he veers well away from advocating a blanket apology at this > > > stage..which is what the Chinese originally wanted. > > > > > > -Gel > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Structure your ColdFusion code with Fusebox. Get the official book at http://www.fusionauthority.com/bkinfo.cfm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Structure your ColdFusion code with Fusebox. Get the official book at http://www.fusionauthority.com/bkinfo.cfm Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/index.cfm?sidebar=lists
