US - China aircraft incident

I cannot comment on the details of it because it is not a matter for the

Security Council nor for the United Kingdom. We have all be looking forward

to a lowering of tension on the issue of the lost Chinese pilot, which we too

regret very much, and of the plane held on Hainam Island. The fact that the

Government of China has decided to release the 24 crew members is very

good news. It is an important relationship between the People’s Republic of

China and the United States and it affects the business we do here at the UN

as well as many other aspects, so I think the Council will be highly pleased to

hear that as it appears that tension is lessened and the crew is released the

matter will be resolved very quickly.

(Question about whether the UN played a role)

No, it did not. I think the Secretary-General made it clear that if his offices had

been useful he would have been prepared to contribute them. The Security

Council does not rule the world, it does not intervene in every subject. I think I

have been very careful during the UK Presidency to try and direct the Council

to do business where it can achieve results and on this sort of issue where

there are huge factors involved between the two countries concerned, it has to

be sorted out bilaterally. That is where conflicts should be sorted out or

incipient disputes should be sorted out between the parties who are

responsible. The Security Council steps in at a later stage when it has not

been possible for conflicts or incipient disputes to be sorted out. So I think

this has happened the way it should have done.

(Question: Is it possible to go back to a normal relationship with the United

States?)

That is for the two countries concerned. And they both have strong interests

that interlock with each others. And one would look forward to the

development of a relationship that reflects those interests in the context of a

globalising and a very interdependent world – look at the strength of the

Chinese trade in the United States. Look at all the other issues where China

clearly wishes to move forward, but are also looking at a new administration in

Washington which also wants the world to move forward to peace and

prosperity. I think the primary responsibility of course falls on the two

countries themselves.