The United States and China are drafting a joint letter in which they will express a common position on the crisis sparked by a US spy plane and a Chinese jet, a senior US senator said today.
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US EP-3 surveillance plane
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Senator John Warner, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, gave first details of intense discussions between US and Chinese diplomats aimed at ending the drama after a briefing with US security officials.
"We're moving toward a letter that will contain exchanges of views, first at the level of the ambassador and the foreign minister, but that letter is being reviewed both by our president and the president of China, so it will reflect a common understanding," he said.
He appeared to be referring to US ambassador to China Admiral Joseph Prueher who has been involved in round the clock talks in Beijing with senior Chinese officials.
Sen Warner said the two sides were also working towards setting up a meeting of experts to probe the collision between the US spy plane and a Chinese fighter last Sunday.
"There will be established some type of meeting framework contemporaneous with the letter, and that framework will enable the experts, those who are most knowledgeable about aircraft and other matters, to sit down and assess the facts," he said.
He said at the time of the meeting, it was hoped that "the United States, China and the world: could get a better "understanding of this accident."
"Now somewhere in that schedule we would hope there will be a timely return of our crewmen," he said.
US officials were allowed to meet with the crew at a military base on China's Hainan Island for the second time since they were taken into custody and it promised a third meeting tomorrow. Today's meeting took place without Chinese officials present, Mr Fleischer said.
Secretary of State Mr Colin Powell said the 21 men and 3 women were being treated well. They were housed in Chinese officers' quarters and were receiving catered food from outside.
The women were staying in one room, the aircraft commander had his own room, and the other crew were staying two to a room, he said.
Sen Warner made clear that the proposed letter would not include the US apology for the incident demanded by China.
Washington says the plane did nothing wrong as it was flying in international airspace when it collided with the Chinese jet and US lawmakers have said Wang Wei, the Chinese pilot, had a history of harassing US planes in the area.
It has however, expressed "regret" for the loss of a Chinese pilot in the incident, a move which Beijing described as an important step.
AFP &