Is the world in for another Cold War? That depends a lot on how well the U.S. and Chinese
governments know how to handle diplomacy.
U.S. President George W. Bush is facing what could prove to be a telling sign of his
diplomatic and leadership skills. He’s certainly surrounded himself with enough people of
integrity, character, wisdom, knowledge, credibility, and diplomatic abilities, as well he
should, but his saving grace may be in just how well he adheres to their advice.
The U.S.-China showdown continues, only now without hostages, save for the American
military aircraft being held on Hainan island.
An announcement was issued during the early morning hours of Wednesday, April 11, 2001,
that all 24 crewmembers of the damaged U.S. Navy EP-3E spy plane would be released once
transportation arrangements had been completed. The plane was damaged in an April 1
mid-air collision with a Chinese F-8 fighter jet over the South China Sea.
During the negotiations to free the 24 Americans, the U.S. maintained that it would not
issue a blanket apology for the collision, as all the details were not known at that
point.
Members of the U.S. Congress have begun talking about a vote in June that could renew
China’s normal trade relations with the U.S. That isn’t ringing well with the Chinese
government.
According to an Associated Press report out of Beijing, Gao Yan, a trade ministry
spokesman, said that “China doesn’t want to fight a trade war with any country.” He also
reported said that preserving stable economic ties benefits both the U.S. and China.
During the 11-day standoff, several lawmakers on Capitol Hill offered said they felt the
June vote on continuing normal trade status with China could possibly be used to punish
China for its delayed release of the crew.
According to a report from the official Chinese news Agency, Xinhua, exports to the U.S.
from China increased 11.3 percent during the first two months of this year, as compared to
the same time last year. That’s a hefty little increase, and one that certainly aided
China’s pocketbook.
As I prepare this column, there’s at least one upcoming meeting between officials from
both countries to discuss the cause of the collision between the two military aircraft.
During the time the U.S. crew was held in captivity, news about the Chinese pilot began to
surface in news reports indicating he was a showoff, and typically had a little too much
confidence in his abilities as a pilot. Maybe that’s why he’s dead and the U.S. crew is
still alive. Hot dogs typically end up cooked. On April 14, the Chinese government called
off its two-week search-and-rescue operation for its pilot, saying he is a ``revolutionary
martyr.'' Just like I said, he was hot dog.
Another interesting twist to the entire ordeal is that China is also indicating it will
demand an end to U.S. surveillance flights off its coast. What a laugh, and, the United
States, thankfully, has already rejected that call, explaining to the Chinese that the
flights are legal because they are in international air space.
Am I really as anti-Chinese as I seem? No, I’m not anti-Chinese, but I am anti-Communist.
I celebrated the day the former Soviet Union fell. I cheered as the Berlin Wall was being
smashed to pieces by protestors.
On a related note, am I really as cold and callous as I seem? Absolutely. In fact, had the
hostage situation continued, I would have been the first to support a U.S.-led force,
headed up by Special Forces, Delta Force, or the Navy SEALs, to make a rescue attempt, as
well as destroy the disabled EP-3 sitting on Hainan island. Would it have worked? That
depends on a lot of factors, but it would have had a good chance, I’m sure, at least in
terms of destroying the plane. Because of China’s location, getting the crew off the
island and safely back to international waters may have been another matter.
When the crew landed in Washington State, after being debriefed at Pearl Harbor, they were
welcomed by family, friends, and well-wishers. They were welcomed home as heroes, as they
should have been. Did the crew do anything special? Not really. They did their jobs, as
expected by the standards of the American military, but they did one thing that not many
Americans would have been able to claim: they were willing to risk death before
dishonoring their loyalty to this country. That’s what military service, ultimately comes
down to, in time of peace or war.
When the U.S. negotiating team sits down with the Chinese negotiating team, I anticipate
tensions will mount, and that additional meetings will be scheduled to help clear the air.
What should be the outcome of the negotiations? I believe the Chinese should return the
EP-3 immediately, certifying they have removed nothing from the plane, as well as
certifying what types of inspections they’ve performed on the high-tech equipment that’s
still in the plane. The Chinese ought also have their hand forced to apologize to the
citizens of the United States for wantonly refusing to acknowledge the distress calls by
the EP-3 crew as it approached Hainan island. The Chinese government ought also be forced
to apologize to the U.S. flight crew and family members for the illegal detainment of the
crew, as well as apologize to the entire international community for allowing hot dogs to
fly fighter jets.
Oh, yeah, the Chinese ought also agree to ground any other hot dogs they may have flying
the not-so-friendly skies over the South China Sea. I dare not count how many Chinese
fighter jets could be shot down in international airspace over the coming months by U.S.
fighter jets for attempting to intercept future U.S. military flights. I’m guessing when
the U.S. spy flights resume in the South China Sea that they will be escorted by fighter
jets, as well as video cameras to document Chinese aggression.
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"U.S. Squares Off With China"
