Скачать или смотреть US President comments re China incident

(3 Apr 2001)

1. Mid shot of US President George W Bush approaching podium
2. SOUNDBITE: (English) George W Bush, US President
"I want to report to the American people and especially to the families involved that I've just talked to Brigadier General Sealock who earlier today met with our 24 men and women in China. The General tells me they are in good health, they suffered no injuries and they have not been mistreated. I know this is a relief to their loved ones and to all Americans. Our crew members expressed their faith in America and we have faith in them. They send their love to their families. They said they're looking forward to coming home and we are looking forward to bringing them home. This is an unusual situation in which an American military aircraft had to make an emergency landing on Chinese soil. Our approach has been to keep this accident from becoming an international incident. We have allowed the Chinese government time to do the right thing but know it is time for our service men and women to return home and it is time for the Chinese government to return our plane. This accident has the potential of undermining our hopes for a fruitful and productive relationship between our two countries. To keep that from happening our service men and women need to come home. Thank you very much."
3. Mid shot of Bush leaving

STORYLINE:

U-S President George W Bush said on Tuesday that he hoped the military personnel involved in the mid-air collision subsequent emergency landing on China's Hainan Island will soon be able to return home.

The 24 U-S crew members brought their Navy E-P-3-E spy plane down on the southern island of Hainan after it collided with a Chinese fighter jet.

After complaints over delays in being allowed to contact the crew, American diplomats met the U-S servicemen on Tuesday, three days after the crash.

One of the diplomats said the crew were in good health but did not indicate when they were to be released.

Following the collision Chinese President, Jiang Zemin, demanded America stop reconnaissance flights in Chinese airspace in order to prevent a repeat of the incident, for which he holds the U-S responsible.

American electronic surveillance planes, like the E-P-3-E Aries II, is capable of monitoring Chinese military movements.

It is not clear how much sensitive material, if any, the crew managed to destroy after the crash, in anticipation of the spy plane being inspected by the Chinese.

Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...