Surveillance flights in line with policy: U.S.

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, MAY 8. Without much fanfare, the United States has started its surveillance flights off the coast of China; and the Bush administration has not yet formally responded to Beijing's resumed demand that such flights should not take place. China has long said that surveillance flights near its coast are to be stopped but the U.S. has been equally firm, saying such flights are in international airspace.

Neither the White House nor the Pentagon is saying much on the nature of the resumed surveillance missions excepting that the resumption was in line with American policy. On Monday, an Air Force RC-135 made a solo flight off northeastern China, the first such after the collision of the EP-3E with a Chinese fighter on April 1.

``Right from the beginning, it has always been the position of the United States that it is our prerogative and right to fly over international airspace to preserve the peace by flying reconnaissance missions, but I am not going to entertain any questions about any specific missions'', the White House spokesman, Mr. Ari Fleischer, said.

The resumed surveillance flight, which took off from the Kadena Air Force base in Japan, is said to have followed a less contentious route; and met with no resistance from Chinese Air Force either by way of tracking or any attempts at interceptions. The Pentagon officials are also making the point that the RC-135 was unescorted.

It has to be recalled that in the aftermath of the April 1 collision over the South China Sea, there were reports that the Defence Department was thinking of sending armed escorts to its surveillance flights. But there are reports that the Pentagon is considering sending escorts when flying closer to the South where there has been a pattern of Chinese pilots getting too close to American aircraft.

Meanwhile, the President, Mr. George W. Bush, is expected to make a decision this week on how to go about getting the EP-3E plane back. The real issue is one of how hard to lean on Beijing so that the surveillance aircraft gets back to the U.S. The technicians who inspected the aircraft in the Hainan Island have said that after repairs the plane could be flown out. But Beijing has said that it will not allow the EP-3E to fly out of the Hainan Island.

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Section  : International
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