[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 49 (Thursday, April 5, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S3526]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            CHINA RISKS FLUNKING INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 101

  Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President. Ralph Cossa, President of the Pacific Forum 
CSIS, which is based in Honolulu, recently published an insightful 
analysis in the International Herald Tribune entitled ``Spy Plane Poses 
Test That Beijing Risks Flunking.'' I will ask unanimous consent that 
his article be printed in the Record following my remarks, and I urge 
my colleagues and Chinese officials to read carefully his article. A 
recent colleague of Mr. Cossa's at CSIS, James Kelly, has been 
nominated by President Bush to be the Assistant Secretary of State for 
East Asia and the Pacific.
  The Center for Strategic and International Studies' pacific Forum has 
a long history of both monitoring and working to improve relations 
between the United States and China. For this reason especially, Mr. 
Cossa's analysis of the current crisis in American-Chinese relations is 
particularly disturbing.
  As Mr. Cossa points out, ``Beijing's automatic reaction to any mishap 
is to quickly incite anti-American sentiments. This is contrary to 
China's stated desire to develop improved relations with Washington.''
  He makes the point that some in China in the past have accused the 
United States of a ``Cold War mentality'' but that today it is China 
``that is demonstrating such a mindset in the way it has reacted to 
this accident.''
  Yesterday, Secretary of State Colin Powell expressed regret for the 
death of the Chinese pilot and has made suggestions to the Chinese on 
how to resolve the current crisis and prevent further such incidents. 
Now it is time for China to respond with similar magnanimous gestures 
by releasing our air men and women and returning our aircraft. Any 
further delay may damage American-Chinese relations in an irreparable 
way.
  I ask unanimous consent that the analysis to which I referred be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

         [From the International Herald Tribune, Apr. 4, 2001]

            Spy Plane Poses Test That Beijing Risks Flunking

                          (By Ralph A. Cossa)

       Honolulu--The collision between a Chinese fighter and an 
     American reconnaissance aircraft in international airspace 
     over the South China Sea is an unfortunate, unplanned, but 
     nonetheless important test of the maturity of both the 
     relationship between China and the United States. So far, 
     Beijing appears to be flunking the test.
       The collision, about 70 miles southeast of China's Hainan 
     Island while the American plane was on a routine, unarmed 
     surveillance mission, was probably caused by overzealousness 
     on the part of the Chinese pilot.
       Chinese jets routinely conduct intercept training against 
     such convenient American ``targets'' but have reportedly 
     become more aggressive, if not reckless, in recent months. 
     The rules of the road call for the faster, more maneuverable 
     Chinese F-8 jets that were involved in the collision to yield 
     to the slower, larger EP-3 propeller-driven aircraft.
       China's immediate handling of the incident--to publicly 
     blame the United States even before the facts were known and 
     to protest the U.S. spy plane's ``violation'' of Chinese 
     airspace--was reminiscent of Beijing's handling of the 
     aftermath of the Belgrade bombing, which was immediately 
     branded a deliberate act. It seems that Beijing's automatic 
     reaction to any mishap is to quickly incite anti-American 
     sentiments. This is contrary to China's stated desire to 
     develop improved relations with Washington.
       Equally disturbing was Chinese refusal to grant American 
     diplomats immediate access to the crew or to the plane, which 
     is loaded with sensitive surveillance equipment (although 
     much of it was no doubt destroyed by the crew before landing 
     at the Chinese airfield).
       Will China, the self-proclaimed defender of national 
     sovereign rights, treat the plane as the piece of American 
     sovereign territory that it is, or--as it has already done, 
     according to some reports--board the plane and attempt to 
     exploit its sensitive equipment? How China behaves will be a 
     sign of just how important maintaining good relations with 
     Washington really are for Beijing.
       Some elements in China have long accused the United States 
     of harboring a Cold War mentality. But it is China today that 
     is demonstrating such a mindset in the way it has reacted to 
     this accident. In his recent meeting with Deputy Prime 
     Minister Qian Qichen of China, President George W. Bush 
     pledged to treat the Chinese with respect. But respect must 
     work both ways. The longer the release of the crew members is 
     delayed, the more one must conclude that Mr. Qian's pledge to 
     cooperate with Washington was an empty promise.
       Continued Chinese heavy-handedness will certainly result in 
     more calls for increased arms sales by Taiwan's supporters in 
     the United States. Any attempt by Beijing to trade the crew 
     or aircraft's release for a reduction in arms sales is sure 
     to backfire.
       Poor handling of this incident by either side could result 
     in a serious setback in the broader relationship and would 
     magnify the impact of other decisions. Instead of merely 
     asserting that the other is to blame, both sides should agree 
     to cooperate in a full inquiry into the accident, aimed first 
     and foremost at ensuring that this type of tragedy does not 
     occur again.
       The Chinese government should also ensure that a full, 
     fair, and objective accounting of what actually happened 
     reaches the Chinese people.

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