Mink explains vote on spy plane 'bill'
By Susan Roth
Advertiser Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — Rep. Patsy Mink says she doesn't necessarily think the United States should pay China for expenses related to the crash landing of a U.S. spy plane on Chinese soil in spring.
Advertiser library photo • Nov. 1, 1998
But she definitely doesn't think the decision should be up to Congress. Mink, D-Hawai'i, would rather leave it to Secretary of State Colin Powell to decide.
Rep. Patsy Mink was one of six to vote against amendment.
Mink was one of six House members who voted two weeks ago against a measure by Rep. Tom DeLay of Texas, the third-ranking Republican in the House, that would bar the State Department from using any of its fiscal 2002 budget to pay China for any costs associated with the incident.
China has demanded reimbursement for costs connected with the detention of the crew of the Navy EP-3 aircraft, the return of the plane and damage on Hainan island from the crash landing.
The demand outraged House members, including DeLay, who responded with the amendment to the $38.5 billion spending bill for the departments of Commerce, State and Justice. Democratic Rep. Neil Abercrombie, Hawai'i's other House member, was among the 424 who voted in favor of it.
DeLay's measure was "nothing more than a reckless propaganda move to exploit contempt for China and embarrass Secretary Colin Powell," Mink wrote in a statement released after repeated attempts to contact her after the July 18 vote.
"To vote for a feel-good amendment without regard for maintaining the integrity of the State Department is irresponsible interference," she said.
"Given the delicacy of the negotiations which freed our aircrew and obtained the release of the aircraft, this amendment is at best frivolous and at worst destructive of our national integrity. I think we could rely on Secretary Powell to decide whether to pay this money to the Chinese or not. Have we no confidence in Secretary Powell to know what is the color of ransom?"
Mink pointed out that she has always opposed increased trade with China "because of my vigorous opposition to the Chinese government that persecutes its own people, criminalizes our citizens who travel to China for study or business, and whose policies are totally inimical to our international principles of human rights."
