Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji said Thursday that the release of the crew members of the US reconnaissance plane does not mean the end of the case and China reserves the right to affix the responsibility with the US side for the plane collision incident.
At a meeting with visiting President of the 55th United Nations General Assembly Harri Holkeri, Zhu expounded the solemn position of the Chinese government on the incident.
He said that the Chinese government, out of humanitarian considerations, has allowed the crew members of the US reconnaissance plane to leave China, but he stressed that this is not the end of the case.
Zhu said that the US reconnaissance plane had intruded into China's airspace and caused the crash of a Chinese fighter jet and the loss of the Chinese pilot. All responsibilities for the incident lie in the US side, he said.
(Xinhua 04/12/2001)
