| |
 |
Pilot still missing
|
THE Chinese pilot who parachuted into the South China Sea after a US military spy plane bumped into his fighter on Sunday morning was still missing despite a massive ongoing search, officials said yesterday.
While meeting with visiting Prime Minister Abdullah Bin Khalifa Al-Thani of the State of Qatar yesterday morning, President Jiang Zemin said he had on several occasions given orders to search for and rescue the missing pilot at any price.
Restating China's position on the collision, Jiang said China has sufficient evidence to prove that the US plane should be fully blamed for the collision.
“It is the US plane, in violation of flying rules, that made dangerous moves, bumped into and destroyed our plane and caused our pilot missing," he said.
He said the US EP-3 spy plane intruded China's airspace after the collision and landed on an airport in Hainan Province without permission.
Rescue efforts
The Navy has sent rescue vessels and planes to the waters to the southeast of Hainan Island, where the incident took place. The Guangzhou Marine Salvation Bureau also sent salvation ships immediately to the site of the incident.
By 4pm on Monday, the military and local authorities have sent 11 ships and more than 20 planes to the site, combing the waters for the missing pilot round the clock.
The US plane on Sunday morning suddenly veered and rammed into the Chinese aircraft, one of two Jian-8II fighters tracking the spy plane, according to Chinese officials. But the United States still insists the collision was an accident caused by the Chinese jet.
US under fire
China Daily yesterday published an angry commentary attacking the United States for shirking the responsibilities.
The article said Washington's claim that the collision was a result of the Chinese jet bumping the US plane accidentally only attests to US arrogance in managing bilateral relations.
The editorial criticized Washington for being only concerned about how soon the Chinese Government will return the US Navy surveillance plane and its 24 crew members, instead of the life of the Chinese pilot.
Angry Chinese Internet surfers posted messages on bulletin boards in the past two days calling for the Chinese people to resist “US bullying".
Two groups of demonstrators in Hong Kong yesterday protested outside the US consulate and demanded a US apology for the mid-air collision.
US crew safe
The 24-member crew of the US surveillance plane are safe, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao told a regular press conference yesterday.
Zhu said the Chinese side has made proper arrangements for the US crew in accordance with the international norms and in the spirit of humanitarianism, stressing that China will observe relevant agreements on the matter.
“The Chinese side is also arranging a meeting between the US diplomats and the crew," the spokesman added.
Inspection right
Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao said yesterday China has full right to inspect the US plane.
Zhu told a routine news conference: “Some people say that the US plane is the asset and territory of the United States. But how has the US territory moved to the Chinese land?"
In line with relevant Chinese and international laws, the Chinese Government has full right to investigate the incident, Zhu said.(SD-Xinhua)
US air spying regular
PRESIDENT Jiang Zemin yesterday said China “cannot understand why the United States often sends its planes to make surveillance flights in areas so close to China."
A report on the People's Daily website yesterday said US planes and vessels regularly collected intelligence over the waters close to China's territory and the Sunday collision was the serious incident in the past decade.
The report said two US spy planes from its base in Japan were intercepted and driven away by four Chinese Jian-7 fighters when the US planes were trying to spy on a submarine exercise by China's North Sea Fleet on March 6.
According to the report, two US spy planes in two missions, escorted by F-15 fighters, were locked by Chinese radar on the next morning when they were trying to test the response by China's air defence. Intercepted by Chinese fighters, the US planes then flew back to its base.
The website said China's army brought down a US RB-57D spy plane with a missile near Beijing on October 7, 1959, the first time China's army to hit an enemy plane with a missile.
Four US spy planes intruding into China's airspace were destroyed by China in 1967, the website said.(SD News)
|
|
|
|
