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American Morning

U.S./China Relations: Rhetoric Heating Up

Aired April 16, 2001 - 11:07   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: The rhetoric is heating up on both sides of the Pacific in advance of Wednesday's U.S.-China meeting in Beijing. Delegates will try to loosen tensions that have been growing since the April 1 collision between a Chinese fighter jet and a U.S. spy plane.

Our CNN senior White House correspondent John King joins us now to bring us up to date on exactly where things are going with this meeting which is just some two days away -- John?

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, again, Leon.

U.S. officials say a delegation of eight will attend that meeting on behalf of the United States with several key goals. One, to try to have a discussion about the cause of this collision. The U.S. side saying it is prepared to bring graphic evidence to the meeting to make its case that it was Chinese fault, that the Chinese fighter flew too close to that EP-3 surveillance plane and, therefore, were responsible for the collision that took place.

The U.S. side, of course, expecting that China will continue to make its case that it was the U.S. responsibility. The U.S. side hoping the rhetoric doesn't get so heated that they can't move on to other issues. Number one, they do want to discuss the future and try to arrange some agreement with the Chinese to back off a little bit and keep their fighter planes away from the U.S. surveillance flights. U.S. officials telling us this morning that those flights could resume now at any time.

And, certainly, they also want to discuss at that meeting -- the U.S. will go in with a request that a repair crew be able to travel to Hainan Island relatively soon, repair that EP-3 surveillance plane, and get it out of there.

And, again, as this meeting takes place two days from now, U.S. officials saying those flights could resume at any time. An ongoing debate within the administration over if and when they do resume whether they should have any escorts with them, U.S. fighter plane escorts. White House press secretary Ari Fleischer telling us this morning President Bush waiting for a recommendation from the Defense Department before he will act or consider any such request -- Leon.

HARRIS: Well, John, do we know who is going to be going to this meeting, the personnel involved here and at what level they are?

KING: It is a team of eight, most of the names unknown to most Americans, unknown around the world.

One familiar face will be the Brigadier General Neal Sealock. He is the U. S. military attache to the embassy in Beijing. Of course, he was the lead military official meeting with the crewmembers when they were being detained in China. So his face a bit familiar.

Also, a top official at the U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii, Rear Admiral Steve Smith. Others from the State Department and from the Pentagon. These are policy-makers, relatively mid-level officials, but U.S. officials say that's appropriate because they view this as a business meeting.

They want to go in and exchange explanations and -- about the cause with the Chinese and, again, they want to get in there and repair the plane and get it out of there, and they're hoping -- they don't know if they can do this in one or two meetings, but they're hoping to have a discussion about if and when these flights resume, is there a way for the Chinese to stay back -- it is the U.S. view, of course, that the Chinese flew too close -- so that there's not a risk of another collision -- Leon.

HARRIS: Boy, it sure sounds like one serious business meeting. John King at the White House. Thanks. We'll talk to you later.

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