Henry Marconi: The plane saga continues

The incident with the U.S. spy plane landing in China evolved into a verbal duel between the presidents of both countries. Chinese President Jiang Zemin said Tuesday that the United States should 'bear full responsibilities' for the collision between American and Chinese military planes. In addition, the President demanded that the United States stop all similar intelligence flights to prevent a recurrence of the collision incident. A semi-official statement published by China Daily quotes a number of facts and legal arguments indented to prove American responsibility for the incident. The American counter-attack involved President George W. Bush delivering an aggressive speech at the White House lawn. The U.S. media followed with sensational stories. Articles by Newsmax.com claim that not only Chinese officials removed secret equipment from the plane, but 'China has been preparing for ultimate war with the United States'. A Newsmax commentator, Admiral Thomas H. Moorer, says: 'The only thing they understand is strength; the time has come to put an end to China's free-wheeling'. Among the barrage of words, an American diplomat visited the crew in Hainan - all in good health and reporting they've been treated well. Australian TV channels show pictures of the spy plane - with damaged nose and on of its propellers. The Chinese fighter pilot is still missing and a search for him continues.

Henry L. Marconi Pravda.Ru Sydney, Australia