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American Morning

Diplomacy Fails to Make Breakthrough in U.S.-China Standoff

Aired April 05, 2001 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to begin this hour with the latest in the spy plane standoff between the U.S. and China. We've got several correspondents standing by live in Beijing, Washington, and elsewhere. We begin this hour's coverage with CNN's John King standing by at the White House -- good morning, John.

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Leon.

Still no public signs of any breakthrough. Indeed, all the public signs tell us that there is still an impasse over whether the U.S. should apologize. The U.S. still upset that it has not been given permission to once again have U.S. diplomats on the scene visit the 24 crew members.

Yet, however, the public statements from the White House somewhat encouraging this morning. White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer using the term, quote, "heavily engaged" to describe the diplomatic activity.

We did not hear from President Bush yesterday. That was deliberate strategy for the president to step back from the crisis a little bit, although we do expect him to take questions on this issue later today when he speaks to some newspaper editors here in Washington.

Mr. Fleischer telling reporters the president spoke twice last night to Secretary of State Colin Powell, the last call at about 10:30 last night Washington time. He spoke to his national security adviser Condoleezza Rice and other U.S. government officials as well. All this part of what the U.S. describes as intensifying diplomatic contacts.

And also we know the Chinese ambassador once again called to State Department today. And a Chinese diplomatic source telling CNN the two governments are, quote, "close in touch and working very hard," this source also saying there are intensive activities going on.

So again, both sides seem to be encouraged by the increasing diplomatic activity and the higher level of the meetings. That is one thing U.S. officials were frustrated with early in this confrontation. They said they were talking with low-level officials. Still, though, what we are looking for and waiting for are any public examples of a breakthrough. Again, the biggest hang-up right now appears to with the Chinese government still insisting on a formal apology from the United States and U.S. officials voicing frustration that they have not heard back. They have made another request for U.S. diplomats to meet with those 24 crew members. They have not yet received a response from the Chinese government, Leon.

HARRIS: John, speaking of responses by the Chinese ,government the leader of the government, Jiang Zemin, has left the country. He's on tour now in South America. How is the White House interpreting this move?

KING: Well, President Jiang left on that previously scheduled trip. The White House said they did not expect him to cancel that trip. There had been some concerns raised as to whether the -- one of the concerns raised throughout this is that it takes the Chinese government more time than most people in the United States might expect to make a decision.

So there have been some concerns that that would delay the process somewhat if a decision needed to be made on a major issue here. But the Chinese ambassador in his interview with CNN yesterday saying that China is in complete touch with its leader as he travels and that should not pose a problem at all if there was an issue to be resolved.

HARRIS: Thanks much. John King reporting live from the White House -- Daryn.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you. We're going to check in now from our vantage point in China. Joining us on the phone from Beijing is reporter Shai Oster. We've been talking to Shai the last couple of days during this hour and enjoy the opportunity to continue that conversation.

Shai, hello.

SHAI OSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How are you doing?

KAGAN: What can you tell us about the response you're getting or that you're seeing in Beijing and in China to this expression of regret that was expressed by Secretary of State Colin Powell, the regret over the possible life of life by the Chinese fighter pilot?

OSTER: Well, it's not seen as enough. They are very explicit about wanting an apology. And this expression of regret maybe if it had come earlier would have been enough. But certainly it isn't seen as -- it's sort of too little too late right now. At least that's the official line.

And I think among the populace it's also sort of a feeling of -- well, we've lost a pilot and you're offering us regret three days after the event that's happened. So there's some -- it's certainly not enough I think.

KAGAN: As an American living in Beijing, an American living in China, do you get a different sense that the cultures interpret the word apology differently, what it means to the Chinese is different than what it means to Americans?

OSTER: I don't know if you can say that. But there's certainly one thing that's important here in China is the question of face and saving face. The U.S. very early on took a very hardline position saying we have nothing to apologize for where the Chinese are very defensive about questions of their sovereignty of their land. This is a country that suffered a lot under -- in the past 100 years, invasions, foreign concessions. And for many Chinese, it's a real point of pride that for the past 50 years they have been -- had total sovereignty over their own land.

And then to have what they see as a spy plane intruding on their territory is a graver front. And so for them to have anything less than a full apology would be a great loss of face.

KAGAN: We just heard Leon talk with our John King about the previously scheduled trip that President Jiang Zemin had gone ahead and taken. He has landed in South America. We saw pictures of that of him in Chile earlier. There are those pictures again as he begins this two-week trip. What kind of coverage is this getting back home?

OSTER: His trip is getting the full coverage. It's -- his leaving is pretty normal par for course. If he hadn't left it probably would have escalated the matter even more. It would have created even more of a sense of urgency and crisis in an already tense situation.

But the papers here are treating it as just another state visit by the president. It's not getting any particularly higher coverage than it normally would. It's getting the standard treatment that such a trip would be accorded.

KAGAN: What is the main source of people's information? Where do they get most information about this story?

OSTER: Well, for most people it's coming from the Chinese press. Now that's generally -- it is controlled by the state to some degree or other. And on an issue important as important as this, the stories are pretty much all in line with the government's line. However, this time around, as we mentioned earlier, there's a lot of -- at least among the educated, they're getting a lot of their news from the Internet maybe looking at foreign web sites or even bulletin boards, China-run bulletin boards, where all sorts of rumors are flying around.

KAGAN: Such as? I imagine not just rumors but also discussion about what should be done about the situation.

OSTER: That's true. On the bulletin boards, you get some very extreme opinions much like you get an extreme opinion in a U.S. Internet chat room. But here people are saying, "Oh, the Chinese government is too soft. We need to strike back harder. We're losing face. The U.S. imperialists are encroaching on us, and all we do is ask for an apology when we should be taking much more stronger action."

I don't know if that's the overall opinion. I have certainly spoken to some people who sort of echoed that. And I've spoken to some people who've said that they doubt their government's position. So I think if you just look at the Internet sites and try to assess -- take a pulse for the entire nation based on what you see on the Internet, you're probably not getting a fully accurate picture because this is a small selective of people who have access to this kind of technology. And like in the states, there are a lot of wacky opinions out there when you are hiding under the anonymity of an e-mail address.

KAGAN: Absolutely. Shai Oster in Beijing, thanks for joining us today.

HARRIS: Well, as this standoff between the U.S. and China drags on, so does the waiting and the worrying for the families of the plane's crew members. Let's turn now to CNN's James Hattori. He is on Whidbey Island, Washington, where many of those family members live -- James.

JAMES HATTORI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Leon, it's still a time of anxious waiting for the families of the 24 crewmen detained in China, all hoping, of course, against any kind of hope that they would get some new information about the status of their loved ones.

One possibility is perhaps some new information, added information, perhaps even a photo, something like that, from the U.S. embassy team that did get a visit on Hainan Island with the crews. They're waiting to see what comes of that.

Still, some family members expressed frustration the Pentagon has not been able to tell them more information. In fact, one of the family members said they were told that the best way to keep up would be to watch television.

There's also frustration over China's insistence regarding an apology. In fact, one family member, Mike Cecka, father of crewman David Cecka, said that he believes that Washington should not issue an apology. That should not be a condition. He said that his son probably felt that way as well.

We should also point out that another family member, Barbara de Stefano (ph) of New York -- I apologize -- said that an apology might be an appropriate thing if it was without strings and if meant bringing the crewmen back home.

But, of course, they all realize that this is politics between superpowers. And for now, anyway, Leon, the families seem to be willing and patient to wait out and let the diplomats do their work.

HARRIS: Thanks much, James Hattori, reporting live this morning from Whidbey Island, Washington.

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