China, Russia Discuss Strategic Stability China and Russia reached a broad consensus Wednesday on issues related to strategic stability, including missile defense, disarmament and arms control, according to the Foreign Ministry. During consultations on strategic stability, China's Deputy Foreign Minister Zhang Deguang and his Russian counterpart G. Mamedov reiterated both sides' opposition to the deployment of the NMD system, which is prohibited by the ABM Treaty, and the development of the TMD system of a military bloc nature for the Asia-Pacific region. They pointed out that the ABM Treaty must be safeguarded, strengthened and complied with, and they stressed the need to do everything possible to maintain the regional and global strategic balance and stability. Both sides agreed that START II (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty II) should go into force as soon as possible, and that START I should be strictly complied with. They also agreed that Russia and the United States should start talks on a range of issues concerning the further massive reduction of offensive strategic weaponry. The two sides expressed readiness to continue their close consultations and cooperation with a view to strengthening strategic stability and international security. **** China's Defense Ministry Condemns US over Plane Collision A spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense Wednesday voiced China's indignation and condemnation over the act of a US surveillance plane causing a Chinese fighter jet to crash Sunday. The spokesman said the US side "must bear full responsibility for the incident" and China reserves the right to lodge further representations for its losses inferred by the US side. On the morning of April 1, a US electronic reconnaissance plane flew over the southeast waters off China's Hainan Island, the spokesman said. At 08:36 Beijing time, when finding that the US plane was conducting surveillance over the offshore waters of the city of Sanya, two Chinese F-8 fighters took off and exercised routine tracking and monitoring of the US plane, he said. At 09:07, the course of the Chinese planes was at 110 degrees, and the US plane was flying 400 meters to the right, parallel to the Chinese planes, which were flying in the same direction, the spokesman said. The US plane made a sudden movement towards the Chinese planes which were closer to the Chinese mainland. The US plane's nose and left wing rammed the tail of one of the Chinese planes, causing it to lose control and plunge into the sea, the spokesman said. The pilot, Wang Wei, parachuted from his stricken plane, while the other Chinese plane returned safely and landed at 09:23, he said. At 09:33, the US plane entered Chinese territorial airspace without approval, and landed at Lingshui Airport in Hainan. The 24 crew members aboard the US surveillance plane were all unharmed. The Chinese side made proper arrangements for the 24 crew members, in a spirit of humanitarianism, the spokesman stated. He said the Chinese side sent ships and vessels to search for and rescue the pilot, who parachuted out of the plane, in the sea areas immediately after the incident Sunday morning. Up to the small hours of April 4, China had already sent a total of 48 planes and 29 vessels to search for the missing pilot. However, the whereabouts of the pilot is still unknown. Efforts to search for the pilot are still continuing. US military surveillance planes have made frequent spy flights in the sea areas close to China for many years, the spokesman said. "It is entirely justified and in line with international laws for Chinese fighter jets to track and monitor those US planes," the spokesman said. He said the immediate cause of the collision lies in the violation of flight rules by the US plane, which made sudden and big movement to veer towards the Chinese plane. "We are concerned about the whereabouts of our missing pilot, and will continue to exert our utmost efforts to search for and rescue him," he concluded. Efforts to Search for Missing Pilot China is stepping up efforts to search for the parachuted pilot of the fighter jet bumped into and damaged by a US military surveillance plane Sunday morning, said the official. Up to the small hours Wednesday, China had sent a total of 48 planes and 29 vessels in search of the missing pilot, he said. Chinese President Jiang Zemin has expressed concerns over the safety of the pilot on several occasions. Before he left for a six- nation tour of Latin America Wednesday morning, he instructed the navy to search for and rescue the pilot at all costs. **** US Should Apologize to Chinese: Chinese President President Jiang Zemin Wednesday said the US side should apologize to the Chinese people for the Sunday collision between Chinese and US military planes. He said the US side should bear all responsibilities for the collision incident. Jiang made the remarks just before he left Wednesday for a state visit to Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Cuba and Venezuela, as well as a working visit to Brazil. While once again expressing concerns over the safety of the missing pilot, Jiang instructed Chinese Navy Commander Shi Yunsheng and other officials to search for and rescue the missing pilot at the collision incident at all price. The United States should do something favorable to the smooth development of China-US relations, rather than make remarks that confuse right and wrong and are harmful to the relations between the two countries, Jiang said. The president extended similar concerns Tuesday over the pilot, named Wang Wei, who parachuted after his fighter was bumped into and damaged by a US military surveillance plane Sunday morning. The Chinese navy and the Guangzhou Marine Salvation Bureau sent salvation ships and planes to the waters to the southeast of Hainan Island, where the incident took place, immediately after the incident. Up till 14:00 hours Tuesday Beijing time, China had sent 29 ships and 37 planes to search for and rescue the pilot. The search and rescue mission is still going on. Jiang Concerned over Missing Pilot's Safety Jiang once again expressed concerns over the safety of the missing pilot, instructing the navy to search for and rescue the pilot at all price. Jiang said the United States should apologize to the Chinese for this incident and bear all responsibilities for the consequence of the incident. The president extended similar concerns Tuesday over the pilot, named Wang Wei, who parachuted after his fighter was bumped into and damaged by a US military surveillance plane Sunday morning. The Chinese navy and the Guangzhou Marine Salvation Bureau sent salvation ships and planes to the waters to the southeast of Hainan Island, where the incident took place, immediately after the incident. Up till 14:00 hours Tuesday Beijing time, China had sent 29 ships and 37 planes to search for and rescue the pilot. The search and rescue mission is still going on. **** US Refuses to Apologize on Spy Plane Incident The United States said on Tuesday that China should expect no apology over a US spy plane incident, insisting that nothing had been done to warrant an apology. "We didn't do anything wrong. This was international airspace, and it was an accident," said a senior US official in response from public appeals from Chinese officials for an apology. The official said the United States would regret the loss of the Chinese pilot involved in the mid-air collision on Sunday with a US EP-3 spy plane, if indeed the pilot was killed, "but in terms of an apology, no." Extracts. **** President Jiang Leaves for Six Latin American Nations President Jiang Zemin left Beijing Wednesday for a state visit to Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Cuba and Venezuela, as well as a working visit to Brazil. Premier Zhu Rongji, Vice-President Hu Jintao and other senior officials saw President Jiang off in the Great Hall of the People. **** Any Separatist Activity Doomed to Failure: FM Spokesman Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao said Tuesday that any attempt to split the motherland is doomed to failure. In response to a question on the Dalai Lama's ongoing "religious trip" to Taiwan, Zhu said at a regular press conference that both Taiwan and Tibet are inseparable parts of China, and the Chinese government has never recognized the so-called exiled government of Tibet. On whatever excuse the Taiwan authorities have invited the Dalai Lama or in whatever identity or form the Delai Lama is paying the visit, the trip can in no way shield the political motives of the collusion between the Taiwan and Tibet independence forces, the spokesman stressed. China is firmly opposed to the collusion between the two forces to split the motherland, Zhu said, stressing it is the common aspiration of the Chinese people to safeguard national unity and to realize the complete reunification of the motherland. Any attempt to split the motherland will be opposed by all the Chinese people, including the Taiwan compatriots and the Tibetan people, and is doomed to failure, Zhu noted. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
