U.S. Dept. of State - IIP: The United States and China

Text: Rep. Skelton Says Interceptions Threaten U.S.-China Ties
(House speech calls for return of U.S. plane)

The ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee says China should desist from harassing U.S. reconnaissance aircraft because such actions threaten U.S.-China relations.

"The Chinese Government should realize that the beneficial relations that now exist between our countries could deteriorate if they continue to harass our airplanes when we are operating lawfully in international airspace," Representative Ike Skelton (Democrat of Missouri) said in an April 26 speech in the House.

If Chinese aircraft "continue to intercept and employ aggressive tactics against our airplanes when we resume our reconnaissance surveillance flights, as we surely will, they run a grave risk ... of jeopardizing the important relationships that now exist between the United States and China," Skelton said.

"Despite ideological and governmental differences between the governments of our two countries, the last several years have shown that our countries can get along and have beneficial relationships, cultural, educational and economic," he continued.

Skelton issued his warning while introducing House Concurrent Resolution 106 (H. Con. Res. 106), which calls for the return of the U.S. Navy reconnaissance aircraft and for the cessation of China's aggressive interceptions of U.S. aircraft.

U.S. reconnaissance flights are "lawful and are carried out in international airspace and are important to the national security of the United States," said the Missouri Democrat.

Skelton also commended the crew of the U.S. Navy EP-3 aircraft "for their outstanding performance of duty following the collision with the Chinese F-8 fighter on April 1 and during their subsequent detention by Chinese authorities on the island of Hainan, China."

ON H. CON. RES. 106,
COMMENDING THE CREW OF THE U.S. NAVY EP-3
FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT WITH A CHINESE AIRCRAFT
House of Representatives
April 26, 2001

Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the crew of the U.S. Navy EP-3 aircraft for their outstanding performance of duty following the collision with the Chinese F-8 fighter on April 1 and during their subsequent detention by Chinese authorities on the island of Hainan, China.

I want to make several points about this incident. First, our plane and its crew did nothing to precipitate this incident. They were flying straight and level, on autopilot, at a slow speed in international airspace. They were performing a routine and legitimate reconnaissance and surveillance mission similar to those performed by many other countries around the world.

It was the Chinese jet that flew in front of and dangerously close to our EP-3 aircraft. It was the Chinese pilot who displayed poor and unprofessional airmanship, causing his plane to collide with ours. To me, it is simply implausible to suggest a slow and level flying multi-engine turboprop airplane could fly into a fighter jet aircraft. I do not think there is any question about who was really at fault in this accident. It was the Chinese pilot. Once the collision occurred, our pilot and crew did everything they could do. They transmitted multiple "Mayday" signals to alert others to their in-flight emergency. They tried to alert the Chinese that they would have to divert for an emergency landing in China. And our plane landed on Hainan Island only because it was an emergency.

Our pilot and crew deserve high praise for safely landing the aircraft despite severe structural damage and in attempting to follow procedures to minimize the compromise of sensitive national security information. They also deserve credit for behaving so professionally during the 11 days they were detained against their will by Chinese authorities.

Beyond the crew and this incident, there are also broader issues here about which we should all be concerned. I refer, of course, to the Chinese demand that the United States should cease reconnaissance and surveillance flights off the coast of China. We should not. Our flights are lawful and are carried out in international airspace and are important to the national security of the United States. Moreover, the Navy EP-3 aircraft should be returned. It is clear under international law that under the circumstances under which this collision and the emergency landing of our plane occurred, the Navy EP-3 airplane is the property of the United States. It should be returned to us.

Finally, if Chinese aircraft continue to intercept and employ aggressive tactics against our airplanes when we resume our reconnaissance surveillance flights, as we surely will, they run a grave risk. They run the risk of jeopardizing the important relationships that now exist between the United States and China. Despite ideological and governmental differences between the governments of our two countries, the last several years have shown that our countries can get along and have beneficial relationships, cultural, educational and economic.

The Chinese Government should realize that the beneficial relations that now exist between our countries could deteriorate if they continue to harass our airplanes when we are operating lawfully in international airspace.

I have introduced a resolution, H. Con. Res. 106, that expresses my commendation of the crew of the Navy EP-3 aircraft for the exemplary performance of their duties. The resolution also expresses the sense of Congress that reconnaissance and surveillance flights should continue, that our plane should be returned to us, and that continued interception of our flights may have broader political consequences. I invite Members of the House to cosponsor my resolution.

Mr. Speaker, Americans are immensely proud of the 24 members of the EP-3 crew and share the joy of their families and friends on the crew's safe return to the United States. Our men and women in uniform make personal sacrifices and take great risk every day to keep our Nation free. We should not take them for granted. In this case, we should all be grateful that the 24 service members of the Navy EP-3 have returned safely. I applaud them for their professionalism and performance of duty under most arduous circumstances.

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)