Thursday April 05 08:52 AM EDT
China Questions - or Interrogates - U.S. Crew
By ABCNEWS.com
A Chinese official announces that the detained crew members of a U.S. spy plane are to be questioned and indicates they could face espionage charges, but the Bush administration says diplomatic efforts to get them released are making progess.
Beijing says that only after it receives an apology from the United States for the collision between a U.S. spy plane and a Chinese fighter jet will it decide what to do with the 24 crew members it has held for five days. Chinese officials welcomed Secretary of State Colin Powell's expression of regret over the apparent loss of the Chinese pilot, who has not been found. But a top official told a news conference that the 24 crew members detained in China since the accident were being questioned.
What exactly was meant by the word - whether it meant simply that the 21 men and three women were being interviewed or whether they were being interrogated - troubled U.S. officials, especially since American diplomats have not been allowed to see the crew after being allowed one brief meeting on Tuesday.
However, Bush administration officials said this morning that over the last 24 hours there has been progress in talks with the Chinese government about resolving the conflict.
The U.S. Navy EP-3E Aries II was forced to land on China's Hainan island Saturday night after it collided with the Chinese fighter jet.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi told a news conference in Beijing that the crew caused the accident and violated international law.
"If you've done something wrong, you should first of all apologize, and then we should talk about what next should be done," he said.
The latest tough talk from China is likely to raise tensions - and the stakes - as U.S. diplomats work to win the release of the 24 Americans.
However, Sun also said China did not want relations to suffer as a result of the incident.
Among American politicians, though, there are signs that the relationship between the countries already has.
"You caused this by the stupidity, the foolish antics of one of your pilots," Rep. Steve Buyer of Indiana said on Wednesday.
"To the communist government of China, let those American sailors go now," Rep. Vito Fossella of New York said.
But officials within the administration have tried to avoid inflammatory rhetoric, thus far refusing to refer to the detained crew as hostages or even prisoners. The strongest language yet used was when Secretary of State Colin Powell said the 24 were being "held against their will."
Accused of 'Arrogance'
Chinese officials summoned U.S. Ambassador Joseph Prueher to the Foreign Ministry in Beijing, where he was told bluntly that America was being arrogant in its refusal to accept responsibility for the collision.
Beijing has said the United States must apologize and accept full responsibility for the accident. Washington maintains that its plane was in international waters, and says the collision was an accident likely caused by the faster Chinese jet.
U.S. officials say aggressive flights have been going on for months, with some Chinese fighter jets coming within 30 feet of American planes.
Though the Bush administration has not yet complied with Beijing's demand for an apology, it has complied with another - ABCNEWS has learned that spy plane flights near China have been suspended. Both the Navy and the Air Force say the reconnaissance flights will not resume until there are assurances from Beijing that it will stop trying to intercept U.S. aircraft.
A Matter of National Pride
The Chinese have turned the issue of an apology into a matter of national dignity. There is a national perception that China has been humiliated by Western powers in the past, and Chinese leaders are determined to show that they are not about to be stepped on again.
"We don't want U.S. money," a lone protester in front of the U.S. Embassy wrote on a poster on Wednesday. "We want national dignity. Give us back our Chinese pilot. Blood death must be repaid in blood."
But in a sign that Chinese authorities do not want to back themselves into a corner, police have cracked down on anti-U.S. protests in the wake of the incident. The man in front of the Embassy was taken away by police.
Pressing for Another Visit
Meanwhile, as the standoff entered its fifth day, U.S. officials on Hainan island waiting to see the crew members went shopping.
While it was not clear when or even whether they would be allowed to meet with the crew again, they purchased toiletries such as toothpaste and soap, and other personal supplies the 24 might need if their detention drags on much longer.
U.S. diplomats were able to meet with the crew on Tuesday, saying all were in good health. The crew has not been allowed to communicate with family members.
Details of the Plunge
ABCNEWS has learned that during the 40-minute meeting, which was closely watched by the Chinese, crew members were able to pass word that they had destroyed sensitive material before landing.
U.S. officials have said it was amazing the plane was able to land at all. The turboprop aircraft sustained extensive damage: its nose was blown off, two engines were destroyed and part of a wing was damaged.
After the collision, the plane plunged 8,000 feet. It took five minutes for the young Navy pilot to stabilize the aircraft.
About 15 minutes later, it landed on Chinese soil.
During that time, 21 intelligence specialists on board were frantically at work, wiping classified information from their computers and destroying some of the classified equipment in the back of the aircraft.
However, U.S. officials can't be certain of just how much they managed to destroy until they can speak to the crew without Chinese ears listening in.
Jiang on Tour
Chinese President Jiang Zemin left Wednesday for a 12-day tour of Latin America - making one last demand for Washington to issue an apology before departing Beijing.
His departure raised questions about what will happen to the surveillance plane's crew. Could they be freed with him out of the country? Some experts believe it was a blunt message to the United States to make the next move.
ABCNEWS' Mark Litke in Beijing, Barbara Starr at the Pentagon and John McWethy contributed to this report.
