Powell Hopes Meeting Leads to Return of U.S. Plane, Crew
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
(Key West, Florida)
For Immediate Release
April 3, 2001
2001/245
PRESS CONFERENCE
SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN L. POWELL
Truman Little White House
Key West, Florida
QUESTION: Could you give us an update of your understanding of the
situation with the plane in China, and also your assessment of the
diplomatic damage that it may have done to Sino-American relations?
SECRETARY POWELL: Yes. The latest information I have is that our
consular and attaché officials are now meeting with the crew members
all together at one time. They will have a meeting for about 40
minutes. I don't have a report of that meeting, but I am pleased that
it is taking place.
I hope that is the beginning of an end to this incident. I hope that
this meeting will lead to the rapid release of all of the members of
the crew back to the United States so they can be returned to their
organizations and returned to their families, and I also hope that it
also will lead to the rapid return of our airplane.
So I am encouraged by the fact that the meeting is taking place. It
shouldn't have taken this long to happen, but now that it has
happened, I hope this starts us on a road to a full and complete
resolution of this matter.
If we resolve this rather quickly, then hopefully it will not affect
the overall relationship between the United States and the People's
Republic of China.
QUESTION: Is there any chance that if the talks are successful that
both presidents will come to Washington at the end of the week to meet
President Bush?
SECRETARY POWELL: Well, I think it would be premature to suggest that.
The negotiations will be very, very difficult. President Bush is
watching this week and these negotiations very, very carefully, and I
am sure that if there is success at some point in the future,
President Bush would wish to see both presidents. Whether it will
happen this week or at some time in the future, I don't know.
But let's just hope for progress. But we can't commit to a meeting at
this time because we have to see progress. And a reminder that this is
just one step on a long road, not the be-all/end-all meeting to get
every aspect of this negotiation completed. Just one more step in a
long process.
QUESTION: I'd like to ask how the behavior of the Chinese Government
in this incident will affect the deliberations and decision within the
Administration on arms sales to Taiwan?
SECRETARY POWELL: I don't find the two issues connected, arms sales
and this. Obviously, when you examine the arms sales question, it is
done in the context of our obligations to Taiwan under the policies we
have followed with respect to Taiwan and their defensive needs for
many years.
So I would like to keep the two issues separate, but I must say I am a
little concerned about the way in which the Chinese Government has
handled this matter. We could have resolved it much earlier, I think,
and without creating the level of interest that there is and the level
of difficulty we have encountered.
I think what we have to do now is ask the Chinese to move as quickly
as possible, and we are asking them to move as quickly as possible to
release our crew members, release our airplane, and let's get back to
other matters and put this behind us....
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, there are some reports that the Chinese have
boarded the US aircraft and are taking some equipment off the plane.
Do you, in fact, know that this is true? Do you consider this a
violation of US sovereignty, so to speak? And what would the
repercussions be for that?
SECRETARY POWELL: I have heard those reports but I cannot confirm
them. We won't be able really to confirm much until we are able to
speak to all the members of our crew in a totally open environment.
But all I can say is I have heard those reports, I cannot confirm
those reports, and I will leave it there because I'd be just
hypothesizing on what the consequences might be of such a violation.
We have said that the plane should not be violated. It is protected,
in our judgment, from that kind of intrusion. But I can't confirm
whether such intrusion has taken place.
Thank you.
(12:15 P.M. EDT)
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