Q: When and where will the negotiations between China and the US on the question of a US surveillance plane ramming into and destroying a Chinese military aircraft take place? Could you tell us about the composition of the Chinese delegation and major agenda items of the negotiations?

A: According to bilateral understandings, China and the US will hold negotiations on April 18 in Beijing on the question of a US surveillance plane ramming into and destroying a Chinese military aircraft and other related issues. The head of Chinese delegation is Mr. Lu Shumin, Director-General of the North American and Oceanian Affairs Department of the Foreign Ministry and its members include relevant officials from the Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry. The major agenda items of the negotiations will include the cause of the incident, the termination of reconnaissance activities by US aircraft off the Chinese coast, how to avoid similar incidents in the future and other related questions. We hope the US side takes a constructive approach to the negotiations so as to find a proper settlement of the issue.