Thursday April 5 7:56 PM ET

U.S. Senator Cancels Trade Trip to China

By John Whitesides

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A top Senate Republican on Thursday dropped plans to lead a trade delegation to China and the fate of a larger congressional trip was uncertain as the standoff over a stranded U.S. spy plane stoked anti-Beijing sentiment in Congress.

Don Nickles of Oklahoma, the second-ranking Senate Republican, said he could not ``in good conscience'' lead a state delegation to China while the standoff continued.

But most of the 22 members of a separate congressional delegation heading to Shanghai on Saturday as part of a trip sponsored by the Aspen Institute, a think tank that examines social and global policy issues, held off a decision on whether to take their trip pending further developments.

The dispute over the Navy spy plane and its 24 crew members detained by China for five days following a mid-air collision with a Chinese fighter has prompted new legislation to revoke Beijing's trade benefits in the American market and renewed calls for sales to Taiwan of four destroyers equipped with high-tech Aegis radar systems.

``It's apparent that the ramifications of failure to resolve this quickly could be very severe damage in the relationship between China and the United States,'' Sen. Richard Lugar (news - bio - voting record), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Intelligence committees, told reporters.

``Most apparent will be battles here in the Capitol -- and fairly soon,'' he said.

Congress is leaving town on Friday for a two-week Easter recess, but if the standoff is not concluded by the time lawmakers return, Lugar predicted, it could quickly spark tough fights over the arms sales and trade status.

``If this matter is not resolved immediately and satisfactorily, then the Congress needs to rethink whether Beijing can be trusted to fulfill its obligations as a member of the WTO (World Trade Organization (news - web sites)),'' Wyoming Republican Sen. Craig Thomas (news - bio - voting record) said.

He said he would begin to reconsider his opposition to the sale of the destroyers to Taiwan if Beijing ``remains intransigent and continues to violate norms of decent international behavior in this case.''

Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) visited the Capitol late on Thursday, briefing members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for an hour on the China situation.

He declined to talk to reporters, but Sen. John Kerry (news - bio - voting record), a Massachusetts Democrat, said: ``I feel confident after the meeting that appropriate discussions are taking place and I think everyone remains hopeful.''

Asked whether questions about China's trade status or its possible role as host of the 2008 Olympics were part of the negotiations over the plane, Kerry said it would be ``absurd'' not to let Beijing know the stakes involved.

``There is a huge amount at stake for both sides. This is not the moment for either side to overstep,'' he said.

Nickles told Chinese ambassador Yang Jiechi in a letter that he would cancel his planned trip to Beijing and Shanghai with the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce (news - web sites), which was designed to drum up business for Oklahoma companies.

``I have no choice but to cancel the trip until the crew has been returned safely,'' Nickles said. ``I urge your government to promptly facilitate the return of both the crew and the plane.''

Nine senators and 13 House members are scheduled to join a group of scholars, foundation representatives and consultants on the larger, nine-day trip that leaves for Shanghai on Saturday, with later stops in Nanjing, Xian and Beijing.

Many members of that trip said they were still waiting to decide whether to go, although the White House and State Department have strongly urged lawmakers to participate in the trip, hoping to play down tensions.

``They want to make this more of an accident than an incident,'' one Senate aide said. ``They don't want this to escalate too far.''

Lugar and other senators said any members of Congress who headed to China during the break should use the opportunity to lobby for the release of the crew members.

``I know senators and members of the House are wrestling with, in their own hearts and minds, about what they ought to do,'' said Sen. George Allen (news - bio - voting record), a Virginia Republican who is not scheduled to go on the trip.

``Those who go I think ought to be talking about the release of our 24 crew members,'' Allen said.

-- Anonymous, April 05, 2001