"Dubya" vs. China: (cont'd)
The Plane Crash That Created a Face-Off
by Lina Zhou, Writing Editor

The talks are once again wracked with disagreements, mostly about who is responsible for the incident-an issue that had supposedly been resolved. According to White House spokesman Ari Fleischer, "no new ground was reached" after Thursday's unproductive two-and-a-half hour discussion with the Chinese.

Just as President Bush has declared the 24-member American crew heroes, President Jiang Zemin has posthumously proclaimed Wang Wei, the Chinese pilot, a hero, praising him as "a guardian of territorial airspace and waters." It is no wonder that China would be miffed at the American government for blaming their "hero" for the entire incident. The Chinese government finds itself in a difficult position, having made the propaganda effort to convince its people the US was sorry and that China had the ultimate victory in this battle, only to end up having to explain why the US retracted its apology and is now blaming the incident entirely on China. In the eyes of its people, the Chinese government has to explain why it has once again suffered a diplomatic slap by "those American imperialists." The Chinese people, who had wanted the government to take harsher action against the US, are criticizing Jiang for being too soft. Thus, the Chinese government may have to appear as if it is playing hardball in these plane negotiations in order to appease its people and regain their trust and respect.

Back in October of 2000, it seemed as if PRC/US relations were finally on the right track with the approval of normal trade relations between the two nations (PNTR). However since Bush took office, the US has issued a critical report of China's human rights record and plans to endorse condemning China at the United Nations meeting in Geneva later this year. Furthermore, in light of this report, certain members of Congress have urged the Olympic committee to reject Beijing's bid to host the Olympics in the year 2008. President Bush has also demanded that China release certain political prisoners. As if this wouldn't strain relations enough, the US is set to approve increased arms sales to Taiwan in spite of intense protest by the PRC.

Whether or not the plane is returned, this conflict signals the changing nature of future US-China relations, especially in light of China's new status as a "strategic competitor." It is not surprising that the most powerful nation in the world would collide with the most populous nation, especially if the latter is on its way to becoming a rival as many claim. In order to maintain relations and avoid future volatile situations, both nations will have to realize their mutual political and economic interdependence. Both nations will need to put aside their rhetoric and the "I'm big, bad, and scary" attitude in order for any ground to be reached.

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