Bush tells Beijing spy flights will continue
Agencies
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US President George WBush took a tough line towards the mainland as he welcomed home the US spy plane crew yesterday, saying their 11-day detention had not advanced constructive relations between the two countries.
As the 24-member crew were being debriefed in Hawaii, Chinese and US diplomats stepped up preparations for a meeting in Beijing on Wednesday to review the April 1 collision between the spy plane and a Chinese jet fighter, discuss the return of the US plane and its eavesdropping equipment and look at ways to prevent such incidents.
An earlier report suggested Hong Kong was being considered as a fallback venue after earlier US opposition to Beijing. Although at times conciliatory towards Beijing, Mr Bush said he would tell US officials to ask ``tough questions'' when the two sides met and suggested he would continue spy flights despite Beijing's objections.
``The kind of incident we have just been through does not advance a constructive relationship between our two countries,'' Mr Bush said.
``The US and China must make a determined choice to have a productive relationship that will contribute to a more secure, more prosperous and more peaceful world.''
Mr Bush said the US aircraft had done nothing to trigger the collision. ``From all the evidence we have seen, the US aircraft was operating in international airspace, in full accordance with all laws, procedures and regulations, and did nothing to cause the accident,'' he said.
``I will ask our US representative to ask the tough questions about China's recent practice of challenging US aircraft operating legally in international airspace.

``Reconnaissance flights are a part of a comprehensive national security strategy that helps maintain peace and stability in our world.''
Mr Bush spoke by telephone to Lieutenant Shane Osborn, the pilot of the spy flight, after the crew arrived in Hawaii yesterday.
``Y'all there?'' Mr Bush asked. ``We're all here, sir. Thank you for getting us here,'' Lieutenant Osborn replied.
``Welcome home. We appreciate you. You did your duty. You represent the best of America,'' Mr Bush said. ``As an old F-102 pilot, let me tell you, Shane, you did a heck of a job bringing that aircraft down. You made your country proud.''
The crew members began two days of intensive debriefings yesterday. A senior Pentagon official said crew members had told debriefers they were flying level on autopilot and were on a fixed course and altitude when the Chinese plane struck the US aircraft, coming from underneath.
14 April 2001 / 01:21 AM