[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 92 (Friday, June 25, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1410-E1411]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT DENIED REQUEST AT HONG KONG'S CHEK LAP KOK 
                                AIRPORT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DOUG BEREUTER

                              of nebraska

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 25, 1999

  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, the People's Republic of 
China has denied a request for a United States military aircraft at 
Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok airport and indicated it was ``denied in view 
of current circumstances.'' Undoubtedly this is a Chinese reaction to 
our bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade. However, as the 
following editorial from Hong Kong's South China Morning Post 
indicates, that action is not only counterproductive for Sino-American 
relations, it raises further questions in America and the world 
regarding the autonomy of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region 
(SAR) within the Chinese governmental system. It is true that the 
People's Republic of China does maintain full responsibility for 
foreign policy and national security for the Hong Kong SAR, but this 
decision seems an unnecessary further aggravation in the relations 
between China and the United States of America. I urge my colleagues to 
read the following editorial in the June 24, 1999, editorial of the 
South China Morning Post.

                               Editorial

       More than a month after the bombing of the embassy in 
     Belgrade, Beijing's fury is apparently still undiminished. 
     Profound and repeated apologies by the US, including the 
     telephone call from President Bill Clinton to President Jiang 
     Zemin, have failed to get diplomatic communications back on 
     track.
       The mainland Government's response was understandable in 
     the emotion of the moment; after all, staff members 
     tragically lost their lives. But by refusing to help defuse 
     the ongoing row, Beijing now risks deepening the harm to 
     Sino-US relations.

[[Page E1411]]

       No doubt the spying row and repercussions from the Cox 
     report have helped to keep tensions on the boil, but it is 
     disheartening to know the SAR is still a casualty of the 
     discord, more than six weeks after the tragedy.
       Banning US warships may have driven home the extent of 
     China's anger, even if it was taken at the cost of HK$385 
     million in lost revenue at a time when the economy is still 
     struggling to revive. But the decision to refuse US military 
     aircraft permission to land here will inconvenience none but 
     the country concerned, and then only mildly. However, if it 
     is applied to military planes bringing in US delegations 
     during the Washington midsummer break, it will appear to be 
     rather a petty act, and will certainly not enhance Hong 
     Kong's image.
       What an irony it would be if Christopher Cox, author of the 
     controversial report, was refused permission to land in a 
     USAF aircraft, after he accepted Chief Secretary for 
     Administration Anson Chan Fang On-sang's invitation to come 
     and witness the mechanisms to prevent the export of sensitive 
     technology across the border.
       It is, of course, the mainland's business to decide how 
     long it will continue to wreak revenge, but the point has 
     been made very forcefully with the warship ban, and that 
     should suffice. To implicate the SAR in any further 
     repercussions can only hurt its claims to autonomy.

     

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