In accordance with relevant understandings between the two sides, China and the United States held talks on April 18 and April 19 in Beijing on the April 1 incident in which a US reconnaissance plane rammed into and destroyed a Chinese fighter jet, and other related issues,.

During the talks, Mr. Lu Shumin, head of the Chinese delegation and Director-General of the Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs of the Foreign Ministry, pointed out that on April 1 the U.S. reconnaissance plane bumped into and destroyed a Chinese military aircraft, causing the death of the Chinese pilot Wang Wei, in airspace near China's island province of Hainan. Later the US plane intruded into China's territorial airspace and landed at a Chinese military airport without permission. This was a serious incident in violation of international law and Chinese sovereignty. The basic cause of the incident is that the United States, disregarding solemn representations by the Chinese side on many occasions, has for many years frequently conducted reconnaissance flights in the airspace close to Chinese coastal areas. The US should bear full responsibility for the incident. The Chinese side demands that the United States make explanations to the Chinese Government and people, stop reconnaissance flights in the airspace close to Chinese coastal areas and take effective measures to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents.

Mr. Lu pointed out that after the incident the Chinese side, taking into consideration the general interests of the China-US relations, has handled the incident in a calm and restrained manner in line with relevant provisions of international law and Chinese law. Out of humanitarian considerations, the Chinese side made proper arrangements for the 24 crew members of the US plane and allowed officials from US embassy and consulates in China to meet with them for many times. However, the US side adopted a completely different attitude towards the incident. Especially after the Chinese side allowed US crew to leave China, some ranking US officials, disregarding facts and confounding right and wrong, made a lot of highly irresponsible remarks on the incident, in an attempt to shift the responsibility onto the Chinese side. Some of them even threatened to link the incident with other issues involving China-US relations. This is firmly opposed to and by no means acceptable by the Chinese side. The words and deeds of the US side offer no help at all to find an appropriate resolution of the incident and will only further damage China-US relations.

Mr. Lu said that the Chinese people love peace, but China's sovereignty, territorial integrity and national dignity brook no infringement. China has always held that state-to-state relations should be based on the basic norms of international relations, including mutual respect for each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression and non-interference in each other's internal affairs. China values China-US relations and it has always committed itself to developing healthy and stable relations between the two countries. History shows that the development of friendly relations and cooperation between China and the US is in the interests of the peoples of the two countries and is of vital significance to maintaining peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and the world as a whole. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the United States, great progress has been made in a wide range of fields in terms of bilateral relations. Such a situation has not come by easily and it needs efforts from both sides to maintain it.

The Chinese side hopes that a proper solution to the incident can be found. It does not want to see Sino-US relations been further effected because the incident is allowed to drag on without a solution. But it is the US side who holds the key as to whether this can be achieved. The US side must fully understand the seriousness of this incident, take the solemn stand and demand of the Chinese side seriously, demonstrate sincerity, adopt a practical and constructive approach and respond positively to the request of the Chinese side, in the interest of finding a proper solution to the incident.

Mr. Peter F. Verga, head of the US delegation and Deputy Undersecretary of Defense, said the United States does not regard China as an enemy and it is also the desire of the U.S. side to develop constructive relations with China. The US side hopes that a solution to the collision incident can be found as soon as possible. Mr. Verga claimed that the U.S. side is not responsible for the collision. He defended the US for sending reconnaissance planes to the airspace over the waters close to China's coast on the excuse that the U.S. planes enjoy the freedom of overflight.

Mr. Lu refuted such arguments, pointing out that the incident happened in the airspace over China's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, overflight over the EEZ of another nation should not violate the general rules of the international law such as the inviolable nature of national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Due respect should be given to the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the nation concerned and the national security, peace and order of the said nation should not be jeopardized. The activities of the U.S. side in the airspace over the waters close to China's coast have seriously harmed China's national security and national defense interests and gone far beyond the limit of the freedom of overflight provided for in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. These activities are abusing the freedom of overflight. The U.S. planes are not conducting ordinary flights in the airspace over the waters off China's coast, but are carrying out reconnaissance activities to collect intelligence about the Chinese side. Such military activities of the United States during peacetime threaten China's national security, peace and order, constitute a provocation against China's national sovereignty; and violate the basic norms of the international law on mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity among nations.

The Chinese side produced a lot of evidence during the negotiations, proving fully that it was the U.S. plane that rammed into and destroyed the Chinese aircraft and that it was the U.S. plane that caused the incident. Mr. Lu stressed that the U.S. side should bear full responsibility for the incident. The facts are clear and brook no denial. The Chinese Government and people demand that the US side stop sending airplanes on reconnaissance missions in the airspace over the waters close to China's coast and hope the US side will seriously treat China's solemn position and correct its erroneous behavior.

It is learned that the two sides have agreed to keep in contact on handling the incident and other related issues.