US Lacks Sincerity, Air Collision Not SettledA so-called decision, totally unacceptable, has lately been made known by the US side on its payment to China's losses brought about by its spy plane earlier this year with which China has expressed the utmost dissatisfaction and the country has resolutely rebuffed it."The so-called 'decision' is unacceptable to China both in its contents and form," said Zhang Qiyue, spokeswoman for China's Foreign Ministry, when responding to news report on the US decision." "We urge the US side to correct its erroneous decision and take into consideration the reasonable request of the Chinese side for an appropriate settlement of the payment issue," she said. With the return of the US plane crew and shipping back of disassembled EP-3 surveillance aircraft, the issue might have been brought to an end. But Pentagon is sending China about US$34,000 for plane-collision cost, which China will by no means accept. On July 8 VOA breathed that after the US plane was moved home the Chinese side soon sent the US a bill of US$1m which, as told by US officials, covers all relevant costs in two months, including money spent on searching for the missing pilot. While reaction from the US side appears negative, and officials say the bill is quite "exaggerated" and they refuse to pay. While a spokesman of the US State Department says the US is ready to pay a "reasonable" amount of money, and the Defense Department will carefully study the paying items. US state secretary Powell said on July 10 that Pentagon was talking with China on the payment issue and studying the costs of its crew members who had stayed 11 days in China. The Congress also intervened by passing a bill refusing to pay China US$1m, which the Chinese Foreign Ministry opposed as an action further damaging Sino-US relations. On August 8 news from CNN says the "reasonable compensation" is about US$34000 according to the Defense Department. The US damaged China's plane and caused life loss to the Chinese side, now they flew with their spy plane back home. China didn't claim compensation other than relevant costs. As for the single-sided calculation, we don't want to say the US is mean but surely its sincerity is doubtable. Pentagon Offers China US$34,000 for Plane-collision Cost: ReportThe United States is sending China about US$34,000 to pay for support of a crippled US Navy surveillance aircraft that collided with a Chinese fighter jet in April, US officials said on Thursday. The officials, who asked not to be identified, told reporters there was no word yet on whether China would accept the payment, which was en route to the US Embassy in Beijing for transmission to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.By PD Online staff member Li Heng |
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