DearMrMinister,
OnbehalfoftheUnitedStatesGovernment,Inowoutlinestepstoresolvethisissue.
BothPresidentBushandSecretaryofStatePowellhaveexpressedtheirsincereregretoveryourmissingpilotandaircraft.PleaseconveytotheChinesepeopleandtothefamilyofpilotWangWeithatweareverysorryfortheirloss.Althoughthefullpictureofwhattranspiredisstillunclear,accordingtoourinformation,ourseverelycrippledaircraftmadeanemergencylandingafterfollowinginternationalemergencyprocedures.WeareverysorrytheenteringofChina'sairspaceandthelandingdidnothaveverbalclearance,butverypleasedthecrewlandedsafely.
WeappreciateChina'seffortstoseetothewell-beingofourcrew.Inviewofthetragicincidentandbasedonmydiscussionswithyourrepresentatives,wehaveagreedtothefollowingactions:
Bothsidesagreetoholdameetingtodiscusstheincident.MygovernmentunderstandsandexpectsthatouraircrewwillbepermittedtodepartChinaassoonaspossible.
ThemeetingwouldbeApril18,2001.
Themeetingagendawouldincludediscussionsofthecausesoftheincident,possiblerecommendationswherebysuchcollisionscouldbeavoidedinthefuture,developmentofaplanforpromptreturnoftheEP-3aircraft,andotherrelatedissues.Weacknowledgeyourgovernment'sintentiontoraiseU.S.reconnaissancemissionsnearChinainthemeeting.
Sincerely
JosephW.Prueher