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U.S. suspends China military ties Pentagon discloses move as technicians visit spy plane WASHINGTON, May 2 — The United States has suspended all military ties with China “until further notice,” a sign that relations remain tense even as U.S. technicians got their first chance Wednesday to inspect the crippled U.S. Navy surveillance plane on Hainan Island.

NBC’S JIM MIKLASZEWSKI reported the suspension order was issued by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld on Monday and affects only a handful of tours by small groups of Chinese military personnel that had been scheduled for May. There were apparently no major exchanges or ship visits by either nation on the schedule.

The last time military ties between the two countries were severed was in 1999 when Beijing responded to the bombing of its embassy in Belgrade during the NATO offensive against Yugoslavia.

Pentagon officials could not explain the timing of Rumsfeld’s order, which was issued just as the technicians were about to arrive on Hainan Island. But relations between the two nations have been tense since the U.S. EP-3E Aries II aircraft was forced to land on the southern Chinese island on April 1 after a deadly collision with a Chinese fighter jet triggered a diplomatic standoff.

Over the past week, Beijing has strongly objected to U.S. plans to sell advanced weaponry to Taiwan as well as to recent tough statements by top officials, including President Bush, that hinted at possible military backing for the Taipei government if it is threatened by China.

Earlier Wednesday, China warned that Bush’s plans to build a shield against missile attacks would spur a new arms race. EXPERTS SEE PLANE

Meanwhile, technical experts from Lockheed Martin Corp., which built the EP-3E Aries II aircraft, were expected to spend a second day examining the plane Thursday, Pentagon officials told NBC News.

The U.S. technicians arrived late Tuesday in Haikou, the capital of Hainan. NBC’s Ned Colt reported from Haikou that the technicians refused to talk to reporters.

It’s unclear at this point whether the technicians will be allowed to inspect the plane past Thursday, since the Chinese government only agreed to allow a two-day inspection.

On Tuesday, an American military spokesman in Hawaii said the United States still hopes the damaged aircraft can be flown home. But officials at the Pentagon indicated China had already made it clear it would not allow the plane to be flown from the island.

Pentagon officials said they expected the spy plane would have to be at least partially disassembled and shipped home.

The Lockheed Martin contractors are assessing the extent of damage to the plane’s engines and body to decide whether it can fly, Army Lt. Col. Stephen Barger, a spokesman for the U.S. Pacific Command, said Tuesday.

“That’s the preferred way to get it out,” Barger said by telephone from Hawaii. “Otherwise, it would have to be hauled out or possibly disassembled, which would take more time on the ground and would be more cumbersome.”

The plane has been held at an air base on Hainan Island since making an emergency landing there after the collision over international waters. SOURING RELATIONS Chinese authorities held the spy plane’s 24-member crew for 11 days while demanding that Washington take the blame for the collision. The confrontation sent diplomatic ties to their lowest point since U.S. warplanes bombed the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia two years ago.

On Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador Joseph Prueher said that the sooner the plane is returned to the United States, the sooner relations can mend.

“The airplane is sort of a corrosive element right now in our relationship. It’s a reminder of a hard spot, and we need to clean that up and get on with things,” said Prueher, who played a key role in winning the release of the U.S. crew.

The ambassador, who was ending his 17-month tour in Beijing, spoke to reporters at the Beijing airport before leaving for the United States. Accounts from both sides indicate the plane lost its nose cone and damaged at least one of its four propeller engines in the collision. The impact pushed the U.S. plane into an 8,000-foot dive before the pilot regained control.

The Chinese F-8 fighter apparently broke in half, killing pilot Wang Wei. China has lionized the pilot, including this week’s issuance of a commemorative envelope with a photo of Wang and his F-8 jet.

Vice President Dick Cheney said Sunday the U.S. plane cannot be flown now and will probably be taken out on a barge. The U.S. military will also consider using one of its mammoth C-5 or C-17 transport aircraft to carry the plane out.

U.S. officials said earlier that the Chinese apparently had ruled out allowing the plane to be repaired and flown out on its own.

-- Anonymous, May 02, 2001

Answers

Talk about the big OOPS! The Pentagon has now said that the memo was sent in error.

Sorry, but that is a big error.

-- Anonymous, May 02, 2001

According to the latest news report that I just read, we have backed off a little on the "cutting ties" issue. Apparently some higher powers in our government don't want to present a closed door policy on this matter, at least not right now. However, I think I sense that we *are* moving in that direction.

I wonder what the problem is with China not wanting to allow us to repair the plane and fly it out of there. Then again, the Chinese military dictators who make all these decisions constantly baffle me. As I said previously, they thought they were pulling a fast one on us by keeping the plane and squeezing it dry. Short term gain of information for them, long term loss of relationship with us. The irresistible temptation they succumbed to is going to cost them dearly.

-- Anonymous, May 02, 2001

Sure would be handy if one or two of those 'specialists' happened to be a demolition expert, too.

First tech: "Well, I can see there is quite a bit of work to be done before we can get this plane out of here."

Second tech: "Yep, hardly worth the trouble, right?"

First tech: "You got that right! Hand me some more of that plastique, will ya?"

Second tech: "Sure, here ya go. How about we set it for 8 hours from now? Then it will be the middle of the night and we will be long gone."

First tech: "sounds good to me."

-- Anonymous, May 03, 2001