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U.S., China resume talks
BEIJING, China (CNN) -- After an initial brief meeting with Chinese officials, U.S. representatives are returning to the Chinese Foreign Ministry to continue talks, CNN has learned. The resumption of Thursday's talks came about after U.S. officials learned that China now seemed willing to discuss the return of a U.S. surveillance plane held since April 1, according to Joseph Prueher, the U.S. ambassador to China. Prueher, a retired Navy admiral, and Brig. Gen. Neal Sealock, the U.S. Embassy military attache, had first arrived at the foreign ministry shortly after 9 a.m. Thursday (9 p.m. EDT) and left shortly before 10 a.m. to return to the U.S. Embassy.
Washington sources said the talks in Beijing broke down Wednesday when Chinese officials refused to take up U.S. requests that it return the plane, which made an emergency landing in China after colliding with a Chinese fighter jet. The talks were scheduled as part of an agreement to end the U.S.-Chinese standoff over the collision, in which a Chinese pilot died. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer described the talks as "not productive" and said, "No new ground was reached." "They made their case and we made ours," Fleischer added. China held the crew of the EP-3 Aries II until American officials said they were "very sorry" for the Chinese pilot's loss and the aircraft's emergency landing without clearance from Chinese authorities. China wants the United States to end the routine surveillance missions that Chinese fighters were shadowing at the time of the incident, but U.S. officials say they won't do that. 'Nothing was settled today'At the end of Wednesday's session in Beijing, the U.S. delegation left without making a statement. In Washington, officials said neither side was willing to accept the other's explanation of why the collision occurred. Boucher refused to characterize the tone of the discussions. "Nothing was settled today. I don't think we expected anything to be settled today," he said. Each nation blames the other for the incident, which resulted in the U.S. plane's 24-member crew being held on Hainan for 11 days. Once the crew was home, U.S. officials blamed the accident on the Chinese pilot's aggressive tactics and released videotapes that they said showed the same pilot approaching to within a few feet of earlier surveillance missions. China, however, says it has enough evidence to prove the U.S. side is responsible for the collision, and it called the "so- called evidence" presented by U.S. officials "completely groundless." American officials said China's refusal to discuss the plane's return posed a roadblock that could derail further discussions about the incident. One expert on U.S.-China relations predicted the countries' differences will take time to resolve, particularly as they relate to the reconnaissance flights. "The U.S. views these things as missions that help to preserve peace in the area. Now the Chinese look at it differently," said John Holden, president of the National Committee on U.S. China Relations, an educational organization. "I think there's gonna be a lot of discussion about that as we go forward for quite a big period of time," he said. "This isn't going to be resolved now. It's related to the Taiwan question, which as you know is a very tricky one. There's a lot of diplomacy that needs to be done." U.N. panel kills human rights measureSome members of Congress are urging sanctions against China over the incident, suggesting that the United States move to block Beijing's bid for the 2008 Olympic Games or oppose further free trade agreements. But some warn that it is Washington that stands to lose from isolating a rapidly modernizing China.
Others are urging President Bush to approve the sale of destroyers equipped with the Aegis advanced air defense radar system to Taiwan, which Beijing considers a renegade province. But an administration official told CNN Tuesday that the Pentagon and State Department are recommending to Bush that he approve a "significant package" of defensive weapons for Taiwan, but one that does not include Aegis destroyers. Meanwhile, a U.S. resolution criticizing Beijing's human rights record failed at a U.N. human rights conference in Geneva. The measure would have condemned China's treatment of the Falun Gong meditation movement, "harsh" sentences for critics of the government and its treatment of Tibetans. The measure was the latest in a series proposed by Western governments to fail in the 53-member U.N. Human Rights Commission. It was voted down 23-17. China criticized the resolution as "typical political utilitarianism," but Boucher said the votes of 17 countries were "a clear signal to China." CNN Beijing Bureau Chief Rebecca MacKinnon, Senior White House Correspondent John King and CNN.com Writer Matt Smith contributed to this report. RELATED STORIES:
U.S.-China talks may set tone for future ties RELATED SITES:
U.S. Navy factfile: The EP-3 |
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