GlobalSecurity.org In the News

US INSPECTORS PREPARE FOR FLIGHT TO CHINA TO EXAMINE NAVY SURVEILLANCE PLANE ON HAINAN ISLAND

CAROLE SIMPSON, anchor:

Tonight a team of US inspectors is preparing to fly to China where it will examine the Navy surveillance plane stranded on Hainan Island. While the plane's crew returned home two weeks ago, access to the plane and its return to the US remain sticking points between the countries. ABC's Josh Gerstein has this report.

JOSH GERSTEIN reporting:

The Chinese foreign minister, traveling in Moscow, confirmed that China will allow US officials to inspect the damaged surveillance plane stranded on Hainan Island. A statement read on Chinese state TV tonight also said "...the US has agreed to consider making a payment to the Chinese." Vice President Dick Cheney called the promise of access to the plane encouraging but said the US would only pay China for its help in retrieving the plane.

Vice President DICK CHENEY: That is to say if we have to barge in, get a crane in, whatever's required by way of actually bringing the airplane out, that's something we're prepared to pay for.

GERSTEIN: It's been nearly a month since the accident and American experts believe that the Chinese have been using that time to carefully examine the plane's sensitive evesdropping equipment.

Mr. JOHN PIKE (Director, GlobalSecurity.org): The Chinese have already learned all they're going to learn about it, so at this point getting the airplane back is mainly about diplomacy, not about learning intelligence secrets or protecting them.

GERSTEIN: The plane's crew says that before landing on Hainan Island, they smashed computers and threw classified manuals into the sea. One former defense official says the damage to the US was limited.

Mr. WALTER SLOCOMBE (Former Undersecretary of Defense for Policy): The intelligence loss, while not trivial, is probably not huge.

GERSTEIN: Pentagon officials say a small team of military contractors is preparing to depart for China tomorrow and hopes to get access to the plane by the end of the week. Josh Gerstein, ABC News, the White House.