| China resolution Two countries must move beyond incident 04/12/2001 Americans should rejoice that China decided to free the crew of the U.S. spy plane that made an emergency landing 12 days ago on the island of Hainan.
The incident ended better than it might have. The Communist government did not brand the 24 crew members "criminals." It did not stage a Stalinist show trial. Although China held the crew members incommunicado for two days and kept them longer than necessary, it treated them well otherwise. The United States has its people back, and the downward spiral in U.S.-Chinese relations that might have occurred if China had held the crew longer was mercifully avoided.
Now the countries must repair their relationship.
There should be no thought of retribution. American politicians who would punish Beijing by denying it normal trade relations, by trying to block its application to join the World Trade Organization and by opposing its bid for the 2008 Olympics should desist. If the incident taught Americans anything, it's that the U.S.-China relationship is a complex web of interdependence and conflict, and that we are better off with China as an integrated, rules-oriented member of the world community.
President Bush deserves credit for engineering the happy outcome. His initial peremptory demands hardened China's attitude. But his diplomacy became more nimble and patient. In the end, he succeeded without acceding to China's impossible demand that the United States apologize for the collision between the U.S. plane and a Chinese fighter aircraft that resulted in the death of a Chinese pilot. The United States had nothing to apologize for. The evidence suggested that the Chinese pilot caused the collision through his reckless attempts to intimidate the U.S. plane. Apparently, Mr. Bush also succeeded without acceding to China's equally impossible demand that the United States not spy from international airspace.
The incident could be a boon to Mr. Bush if it educated him about the intricacies of U.S.-China relations and the desirability of building a consensus for engagement. His rhetoric toward China early in his administration may have strengthened him politically, but it made cooperation difficult once China suddenly possessed a plane bristling with sophisticated surveillance equipment. As Mr. Bush mulls what arms to sell Taiwan, what missile defenses to build and what new security arrangements to craft for East Asia, he can use the insights he may have acquired to improve U.S. policies.
The incident should not mark the start of a new Cold War. It should signal the beginning of a new effort to encourage China to follow the path of peace and democracy.
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