John LeBoutillier
Monday, April 30, 2001

This is now the key question in the still-unresolved dispute surrounding the Chinese knockdown of our plane and the imprisonment of our 24-person crew.

But yesterday Xinhua, the official government news outlet, said the United States has agreed to consider making a payment to China. It did not say what it would be for, but said the two sides will conduct more negotiations "on the specific amount of the U.S. payment and the items to be covered."

Today our ambassador to Beijing, Admiral Joseph Prueher, said, "We have made no commitment about payments."

Why does that wording worry me?

Doesn't that typical non-answer sound almost Clintonian?

Why do I have the nagging feeling that – under the table – this whole incident was resolved not just by the "very sorry" apology but also by a large cash payment?

On the TV talk shows Sunday morning discussing this matter, Vice President Dick Cheney said the United States will pay all costs in bringing the plane back, but has no plans to compensate Beijing for the collision. "We will pay whatever costs associated with recovering the aircraft in terms of transportation, barge, cranes, whatever is required to get it back out,'' he said.

It also turns out that the Red Chinese exacted almost $16,000 in cash when they released our crew. According to the Far Eastern Economic Review, "when the 24 crew members of the United States' EP-3 spy plane made their emergency landing on Hainan Island on April 1 they didn't have Chinese visas. A small detail to some, but not to the Chinese visa officials who, before their departure, slapped each crew member with a 500 renminbi ($60) fine for each of the 11 days that they were held in detention on the southern Chinese island. That's the standard daily fine for any foreigner who overstays his or her visa in China. The grand total came to 132,000 renminbi or close to $16,000. Of course, that's in addition to the $80 million value of the EP-3 spy plane that Beijing is still holding on to despite demands from Washington that it be returned."

Interesting that this little fact was not disclosed at the time, eh?

It’s almost as if the Bush-Cheney administration – wise to the political mood here at home when it comes to 'paying' the Red Chinese – has gone out of their way to hide any cash changing hands on this matter.

But now we know that money has changed hands!

And for 24 of our military personnel who the Red Chinese held against their will? Imagine extracting a payment for 'visa violations' when these 24 crewmembers had no intention of visiting Hainan Island – until a Chinese pilot knocked them down!

Why don’t we demand that Beijing pay us?

Let's bill them for the time lost by our crew while they sat around the Chinese officers club where they were held? And let's charge them for the loss of the plane, too.

What really bothers me is this: The Red Chinese – through a deliberately aggressive policy – knocked down the plane. They held our people prisoner. They still keep the plane – after stripping it of any value. And, of course, some of our security equipment must have been compromised.

Furthermore, we made an apology.

Then, we made no effort to punish Bejing for its criminal behavior. No move to block Beijing’s entry into the WTO or attempt to keep it from getting the 2008 Olympics! Nothing!

In fact, we rewarded them by not selling the Aegis destroyer system to Taiwan!

The Chinese Communists have gotten away with it – and we’re even paying them!

Beijing has taken Bush to the (Chinese) cleaners!

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
Daily Political Diary
China/Taiwan

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