Foreign Ministry Spokesman Sun Yuxi reiterated Tuesday that the EP-3 plane of the United States cannot leave south China's Hainan Island by means of flight.
Sun made the remarks while replying to a question from the media: "It is reported that US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld recently expressed the hope that US EP-3 plane could fly back to US from the Hainan Island. Does the Chinese side allow this means of returning the US plane?"
Sun replied, "The Chinese side has several times stated clearly in relevant Sino-US negotiations that it is impossible for the US EP-3 plane to fly back to US from Hainan Island."
"The US side should take a pragmatic and constructive attitude so that the issue on handling the US plane could be properly settled," the spokesman added.
(People's Daily 05/09/2001)
