BBC Tuesday, 10 April, 2001, 09:08 GMT 10:08 UK

US spy plane stance 'unacceptable'

Platoon of Chinese pilot Wang Wei: He is still missing China says the United States has still not gone far enough in offering an apology for last week's mid-air collision between an American spy plane and a Chinese fighter jet.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao said US statements to date on the incident were "unacceptable", and that the Chinese people remained "dissatisfied".

"We ask the United States to take responsibility for this incident in a clear and active way by apologising to the Chinese people," he said at a news conference during President Jiang Zemin's visit to Argentina.

US President George W Bush said that relations with China could be damaged unless the spy plane's crew was soon freed.

But the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Beijing says that despite the rhetoric the two sides are still very much engaged, although it is not known how close they are to an agreement.

On Tuesday, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman acknowledged that US Ambassador Joseph Prueher has held talks with the Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan.

Reports say that several drafts have been prepared of a letter aimed at breaking the deadlock, but that none have so far proved acceptable to both sides.

Negotiations reported

Despite this, US diplomats on Hainan Island - where the plane was forced to make an emergency landing - are reported to have begun preparations for the evacuation of the 24 crew members as soon as any agreement is reached.

The men and women of the American EP-3 surveillance plane have been in custody since landing on Chinese territory 10 days ago.

US diplomats who held a fourth meeting with the crew on Monday said they were in "extremely high spirits".

Our correspondent says China's state-run media has also begun to tone down its rhetoric, reporting for the first time that negotiations with the US are under way.

He says the papers also appear to be preparing public opinion for the loss of the Chinese pilot, with many now saying there is little hope of finding him alive.

Impatience

US Secretary of State Colin Powell has already said he is "sorry" - the first US official to use the word - about the loss of the Chinese pilot.

But just as Beijing's demands for a full apology appear intractable, Washington is adamant it will not take the blame for the incident itself, which it says was not its fault.

On Monday, President Bush signalled Washington's growing impatience, renewing his call for the crew to be released.

"Every day that goes by increases the potential that our relations with China will be damaged," Mr Bush told reporters.

Mr Bush's warning came amid reports that the American spy plane had been gathering intelligence about alleged Chinese preparations for a nuclear test at its Lop Nor testing facility.

BBC Washington correspondent Johnny Dymond says it is not clear how much this verbal sparring affects the behind-the scenes diplomatic efforts, but the mood in America is hardening.

US legislators are now openly referring to the 24 crew members as "hostages", and there is more talk of trade retaliation against China.

-- Anonymous, April 10, 2001