Crash course
U.S. needs to work for return of crew

A U.S. Navy spy plane collided with one of two Chinese F-8 jet fighters sent to intercept it Sunday. The crippled plane had to land at an airport on the Chinese island of Hainan.

That was the last time U.S. officials have had any contact with the 24 crew members. The Chinese government is refusing to let the crew have any contact with the United States. Our government called that “inexplicable and unacceptable.”

So who is to blame for the accident?

The Chinese government blames the United States for “ramming” into one if its aircraft, resulting in the loss of one Chinese pilot.

But Unites States officials said it was the “aggressive” tactics of Chinese pilots that caused the accident “that was waiting to happen.”

This incident, once again, puts the United States and China at odds with each other. This also comes on the heels of failed negotiations between Chinese leaders and the United States.

So what should the United States do?

So far the government has put three warships in the South China Sea region to monitor the situation. White House officials said the incident, so far, does not constitute a serious threat, but that it could develop into a full-blown diplomatic crisis, if the situation is not resolved soon.

To avoid such a crisis, President George W. Bush held a meeting Monday, with top security advisors to try and end the standoff over the fate of our crew and airplane.

We hope this will end the situation, which has put a strain of tension between the Bush administration and the Chinese government. But what if it doesn’t and the Chinese government still refuses to return what belongs to us?

Should the United States go in with force, or should they try and negotiate further?

If negotiations have not worked in the past, they probably won’t work in the future. The United States needs to show China that when the U.S. government asks for its belongings to be returned, it means it.

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