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CNN Sunday Morning

China to Allow U.S. to Inspect Surveillance Plane

Aired April 29, 2001 - 09:01   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this hour with the possible break in the U.S. surveillance plane incident. The official Chinese news agency says Beijing is going to allow U.S. officials to inspect the Navy surveillance plane on Hainan Island. And the Chinese government is also saying there is talk about some sort of U.S. payment for the April 1 collision of the Navy EP-3 and a Chinese F-8 fighter.

CNN's Beijing bureau chief Rebecca MacKinnon joins us now on the phone from Beijing. She's been following this breaking news all morning.

What's the latest Rebecca?

REBECCA MACKINNON, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Kyra, the latest here is we still have no confirmation from the u.s. Embassy on the report coming from the Chinese official news government agency that the Chinese government will allow U.S. officials to inspect the EP-3 surveillance plane at the Lingshui Airport on Hainan Island where the plane made an emergency landing nearly a month ago now. There is no information in the Chinese report when this inspection might be able to take place or how extensively the u.s. officials will be able to inspect the plane.

There's also no information about when and whether the plane might be returned. The Chinese news agency also did report, as you mentioned just now, that the U.S. agreed to consider making a payment to China. It said negotiations will be held on the amount of that payment and quote "the items to be covered." Exactly what this payment is likely to be and how it's likely to be categorized is completely unclear at this point. The Chinese also indicated that talks will continue just to settle the entire standoff completely.

Now, as I mentioned before the United States Embassy here, u.s. officials, still not confirming any of this report and no comment at all on this report of a payment or what this really might entail -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Rebecca. Well, the -- if the u.s. is -- OK, the U.S. is not commenting. I was curious to know there has been concern about tampering going on with -- inside the plane but what about outside of the plane?

MACKINNON: Well, you know, at this point, it's not clear. There's no information from the Chinese side either in terms of what Chinese authorities have been doing with the plane over the past couple of weeks. All we have seen are some photographs from the Chinese side showing marks on the plane that were made during the collision with the Chinese fighter jet, which fell into the sea and was never recovered. And the Chinese side claiming that these collision marks prove that it was the U.S. that hit the Chinese plane and not the other way around as the U.S. is claiming.

So it does seem that the Chinese side is certainly using the plane as evidence to prove its point. The extent to which the United States officials, when they get to inspect the plane, are going to be able to go through and determine what this evidence really means, that's all going to have to be seen -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Rebecca MacKinnon, thanks so much -- Jason.

CARROLL: The announcement from Beijing comes as President Bush marks his first 100 days in the White House. The downing of the Navy surveillance plane on China's Hainan Island and the negotiations to free the plane's crew were pivotal moments in those first 100 days.

For more, here's CNN's Kelly Wallace. She is at the White House.

Good morning to you, Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you Jason. Well, just to pick off on Rebecca's report, so far no confirmation coming from the White House either to these reports that the Chinese will allow U.S. officials to inspect that plane and that also that the Americans have agreed to make some form of payment to the Chinese.

One U.S. official basically saying quote, "It is well known we have been in long-term diplomatic negotiations in relation to our aircraft. And diplomatic negotiations are something that we simply don't comment on." So again, no official word here from this White House.

As we know the U.S. has been pushing to get access to that plane as well as to get this plane back. And this stand-off with Beijing, first over the crewmembers and now over the plane, billed as President Bush's first major international test over his first 100 days. He did receive widespread praise from both Democrats and Republicans for his handling of the matter and for helping to secure the release of those 24 crewmembers.

In fact, President Bush attending -- making his first appearance as President last night at the White House Correspondents Dinner, the President, most of his speech a comic sketch, a video slide show showing some pictures of the Bush family. But the President did pay tribute to those crewmembers and in fact, two of them were attending the dinner, including the pilot, Lieutenant Shane Osborn.

But again, the President receiving praise for his handling. He definitely though will face challenges when it comes to this over the next 100 days -- No. 1, getting that plane back, also when and how those u.s. surveillance flights will continue and then the good challenge really is relations between the two countries.

Mr. Bush in his radio address yesterday said that the relationship is in a maturing. But most observers believe the relationship is definitely strained that this standoff has definitely contributed to tense relations. And now the Chinese are even more upset with the Mr. Bush offering the largest arms package to Taiwan in nearly a decade and also to Mr. Bush's comments that if Taiwan were attacked by the Chinese, the United States would defend it.

Kelly Wallace, CNN, reporting live from the White House.

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