Chinese state media: Beijing continues to press U.S.

In this story: 'A serious incident' Leaving door open for future issues RELATED STORIES, SITES

BEIJING, China -- The release of the U.S. spy plane's crew is not expected to end China's demands that the United States accept full responsibility for the collision between the U.S. plane and a Chinese jet fighter.

Shortly after the release of the 24 U.S. crew members was announced, state media carried a report quoting Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan as telling Joseph Prueher, U.S. ambassador to China, that the United States needed to accept that the incident was its fault.

The official Xinhua News Agency said Tang continued to press the United States to provide "convincing explanations to the Chinese people" about the event, stop reconnaissance flights over what it considers Chinese territory and "take measures to stop the recurrence of such activities."

Chinese state-run television broadcast videotape of interviews of unidentified Chinese people on the streets of Beijing saying, "We've won, we've gotten the United States to apologize. We've gotten them to say they're sorry. We've come out on top in this."

'A serious incident'

Xinhua said China viewed the collision between the U.S. military reconnaissance plane and the Chinese fighter jet as "a serious incident."

Tang said that ever since the collision, China had "handled the incident with calmness and restraint and in accordance with international law and the provisions of relevant laws in China."

Xinhua added that China had "out of humanitarian considerations, treated the 24 crew members of the U.S. reconnaissance plane well, and had arranged for their meetings with U.S. diplomatic and consular officers."

Beijing continues to hold that the U.S. EP-3 spy plane rammed into the Chinese fighter jet.

Leaving door open for future issues

CNN Senior Asia Correspondent Mike Chinoy called the comments typical of the Chinese government.

"China often pockets the agreement in a somewhat grudging way and will continue to maintain its original position," he said.

"It's done that in this case, and it leaves the door open for China to raise the issues they're not happy with in the future, even after the crew is gone," Chinoy said.

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Navy Fact File: EP-3E ORION (ARIES II) Aircraft
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Government Information Office, Republic of China

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