2001 US press briefings
The James S. Brady Briefing Room
12:10 P.M. EDT
MR. FLEISCHER: Good afternoon. I hope everybody had a very happy Easter.
I have one personnel announcement to make, and then I am all yours. The President intends to nominate Bennett William Raley to be Assistant Secretary of Interior for Water and Science. And we will have more paper on that coming out later this afternoon.
With that, I'm prepared to take questions.
Q When is that decision expected on the Taiwan arms sale?
MR. FLEISCHER: There is no hard and fast deadline for when that decision will be made. The President has indicated that he will review that matter in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act and will determine what the defensive needs of Taiwan are. And he will make his determination.
Q Is he leading toward or against the Arleigh Burke class destroyers with the Aegis radar, at this point?
MR. FLEISCHER: John, he's made no determination at this time.
Q Does the President believe it's necessary now for reconnaissance flights over near China to be escorted to avoid the kind of near, or actual collision confrontation we had?
MR. FLEISCHER: Let me make two points on that, David. Number one, the United States will always reserve the right to operate over international waters and international airspace to protect the needs of our neighbors, to promote regional stability and secure peace; which is why our nation, and many other nations, fly reconnaissance missions.
Specifically, in the context of where we are today, the Secretary of Defense will be making a recommendation to the national security team for the President and to the President, about what he recommends, as far as reconnaissance flights, as well as other items and the timing of those flights, other associated missions that may or may not go along with those flights. So that's a recommendation that the Secretary of Defense will make. The President has not yet received such a recommendation.
Q Does he not have a view on it, just based on going through this past experience?
MR. FLEISCHER: Obviously, a matter like that is a matter the President would ask the Secretary of Defense to make a recommendation on, given the fact that it's directly a defense-related question.
Q Ari, what's the message that we're going to send to the Chinese on Wednesday, in these meetings in Beijing?
MR. FLEISCHER: The agenda for the meeting Wednesday is basically fourfold. One, is for the United States to provide clear understanding to the Chinese about the cause of the accident from our point of view. Two, is to discuss any such accidents can be avoided in the future. Three, as the President indicated last week, to ask tough questions to the Chinese about the manner in which they have dangerously intercepted United States reconnaissance flights. And, four, to make the case that plane is United States property and the United States would like to have the plane returned.
Q How tough will those questions be?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, I think they're going to be very direct. I think that, obviously, in the wake of this accident in which a Chinese pilot has lost his life and in which the lives of 24 American servicemen and women were endangered, tough questions are required. It is dangerous to operate in that manner, and for the safety of not only our American crews, but for the Chinese crews involved, it is important that tough questions be asked so that any such incidents can be avoided in the future.
Q But then what? You ask the tough questions -- every indication so far from China is that their conduct won't change. So what then?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, I don't think that's quite right, David. The Chinese have lost a pilot over this. They've lost a life. And I don't think it's accurate to say that they're not going to make any changes.
Q Well, he's being celebrated as a martyr, so, presumably, it's a noble mission.
MR. FLEISCHER: I understand, but I'm not certain -- I don't think that either nation wants to have a repeat of an episode like this. And that means flying differently. And, hopefully, that message will be received by the Chinese so that this can be avoided in the future.
Q Well, Ari, the presumption in what you're saying is that the Chinese government has ordered the pilots to fly in this manner. Is that correct?
MR. FLEISCHER: No, I'm not saying there's an order there, but we obviously have the United States point of view, which is a very strongly-felt view, about what caused the accident. And I think it goes without saying that both nations should have an interest in making certain that this does not happen again.