Return to Transcripts main page

Breaking News

To Many Chinese, Spy Plane Standoff Ended Too Soon

Aired April 12, 2001 - 05:21   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JASON CARROLL, CNN ANCHOR: Chinese media are calling the outcome of the standoff a victory. Headlines in Chinese newspapers read "America Finally Apologizes."

For more on the reaction from China, CNN Beijing bureau chief Rebecca MacKinnon joins us now live, with the latest.

Good morning to you, Rebecca.

What can you tell us?

REBECCA MACKINNON, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Hello, Jason.

With the release of the 24 U.S. crew members, this incident may appear to be over to many Americans, but to the Chinese, it definitely is not. The Foreign Ministry spokesperson just gave a press conference in which he made it very clear China does not consider the situation over, that the Chinese side is urging the United States to stop any further surveillance activities near Chinese airspace, and is still demanding that the United States make an explanation to the Chinese people of how the air collision happened.

China is still very much feeling that the United States is at fault for the collision and that the United States is not accepting responsibility, as it feels it should, even though the United States did give a letter to the Chinese government in which it expressed that the United States is very sorry to the Chinese people and to the family of the fighter pilot Wang Wei for the loss of a Chinese life, and also is very sorry for having entered Chinese airspace.

The reaction here on the street, too, is very interesting. While the Chinese media are declaring it a victory that the United States has said sorry, people here are not quite as enthusiastic, and many people I spoke to on the streets, actually, feel that the U.S. crew was released too early, that more concessions should have been extracted first, and that the United States should have given China compensation. So people are being quite critical of their government as well -- Jason.

CARROLL: Rebecca, is it safe to say, then, that some of the people there actually are feeling some sort of resentment at this point, or is that too strong?

MACKINNON: Well, there is something of that. People here do feel a great deal of pride in their country. While they may or may not always agree with what their leaders do, and they may or may not agree with their government's policies at all times, they're still very proud of being Chinese, and they want China to be treated with respect. And they would like China to be treated by other countries as a great nation.

And so the idea that the United States is flying these reconnaissance missions up next to China's -- as they put it -- doorstep on a very regular basis is considered quite annoying by the Chinese, really an intrusion. Even though it may not be technically intruding into Chinese space, it's still an affront to Chinese pride. That's a big issue.

And also the loss of a Chinese life. A number of people here were quite offended by the fact that U.S. officials were demanding the release of the crew and the return of the plane immediately after the incident and didn't really start talking about the Chinese fighter pilot's loss until later in the week.

So they're glad that the United States has said sorry, but there's a great deal of feeling here, both on the street and in Internet chat rooms, that the United States is still treating China in an arrogant manner -- Jason.

CARROLL: All right, Rebecca MacKinnon, coming to us live this morning, from Beijing. Thank you so very much for that.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com