China Detains White House Press Plane

BEIJING — A charter airplane carrying the White House press corps was detained for nearly three hours Friday at Beijing's international airport not long after President Bush arrived to attend the Olympic Games.

The flight crew of the Northwest Airlines 747 had been expecting to park at a VIP terminal, but after landing was instead directed by the control tower to a normal international gate.

White House officials would say only there were "logistical problems" getting clearance to unload the aircraft. The flight crew was told the Chinese were insisting that all luggage be inspected.

Typically, the White House press charter receives the "custom of the port," meaning reporters, photographers and camera crews are able to get off the plane right after landing, board buses and head to their hotels and work areas while U.S. State Department officials process immigration and customs details.

Delays on landing have happened before, but no one on the plane was able to recall one this long.

The plane landed at 2:10 a.m. local time. Passengers finally were able to get off the plane shortly after 5 a.m. However, they were made to pass through Chinese immigration control individually, and baggage was still being screened.

Many of those on the plane _ roughly 40 journalists _ were due to cover the president's first appearance of the day: the opening of the new Beijing U.S. Embassy complex.

Comments

[SEQUOIABISON]

04:17 PM on 08/14/2008

Why are we still recycling this old news.

If they are lax with their security we would say they are not doing their job properly if they are too precautious with security we admonish them for doing their job.

So far I think China is doing a great job as host of the Olympics.

[kanaschwiiz]

05:15 PM on 08/10/2008

China Detains White House Press Plane

More like: China DELAYS White House Press Plane

What a sensationalist title. Poor journalism/editing.

[Yasir]

03:56 PM on 08/09/2008

Actions that comport with piety are the sort of exactions in gaiety.

[MadJeffersonian]

01:31 AM on 08/09/2008

Why detain them? They don't really report anything anyway. Oh, wait...was Helen on the plane?

[chinationreport]

12:24 AM on 08/09/2008

Imagine the following scenario: Mr. Hu Jingtao is invited to come to America for a superbowl game. He decided to come because he needed America as an export market. But he really got a lot of pressure from his party members because of USA's standing on war in Iraq, etc. On his trip to the US, Mr. makes a stop in Mexico and delivers a speech about Bush's war policy in Iraq or some rights issue at Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp. Just hours before that trip, some Chinese entered into the USA, climbed on top of Statue of Liberty and hung up a banner saying: Free American Indians. All Americans go back to Europe.

How would that fly?

Well, I guess my scenario would never happen. Chinese people, like the people around you, normally just want to mind their own business.

http://www.chinationreport.com/ for more balanced views and news about China

[realityczech4u]

11:35 AM on 08/09/2008

I can't imagine your scenario happening. And it wouldn't fly at all. The thugs in Europe vandalizing and trying to extinguish the torch were a disgrace. The drama queens wearing face masks in the Beirjing airport were an embarrassment. Do not judge Westerners by the antics of a miniscule few. We are not all miscreants and troublemakers. The overwhelming majority of us respect the cultures of other countries even if we may disagree with some of their policies. There are a small minority amongst us who are societal misfits, and while their pranks are bold and high-profile, do not be fooled by them.
Their actions may appear to be for the advancement of a cause,however I believe that the underlying motive is to cause mayhem purely for it's own sake and draw attention to themselves since they lack the social skills to do so in a productive manner.

[BruceNM]

07:13 PM on 08/10/2008

It's about time somebody recognized that provocation and discourtesy generate backlash. Perhaps that will train US politicians to keep their mouths shut until they are BACK on US soil.

The scenario you posted is as close as one could come to depicting the discourtesy of the US president, discourtesy that had absolutely no impact on China's behavior except to motivate the Chinese customs people to treat journalists like customs people treat everyone else throughout the world. In fact, Chinese customs and immigration people are extremely courteous and efficient UNLESS your behavior or demeanor pisses them off..

[baba2nde]

10:08 PM on 08/08/2008

I digress. Why do 40 journalists need a 400 passenger plane?

[Roadblock]

02:32 AM on 08/09/2008

To carry all their gears for propaganda

[paixa3]

09:38 PM on 08/08/2008

No countries press corps deserves special treatment. Good for the Chinese on this one.

[Destin]

05:27 PM on 08/08/2008

Funny how the right wing talk radio folks like Limpbaugh, Hannity, et al, all would curse about Clinton cozying up to the Chinese with every bone in their body, during all their waking hours, for years on end..... but they suddenly shut their traps when Bush became President. And they still never said a cross word about China, or Bush, even when China shot down our navy plane and took the crew hostage for weeks, not long after George W. "Man of Action" Bush become President.

[Roadblock]

02:36 AM on 08/09/2008

The US spy plane intruded, and bumped into a Chinese plane that was monitoring. That is the true story. Don't spin it, please.

[tigs]

04:36 PM on 08/08/2008

side issue ,everytime i try to get the story on hillary clinton memo it is blocked , all other stories are ok .

[GravitonX]

03:30 PM on 08/08/2008

How dare you detain Americans!!! Don't you know who we are!!!

[darthdarcy]

03:18 PM on 08/08/2008

Welcome to the belly of the beast, the Red Dragon...!

[muffler]

02:52 PM on 08/08/2008

Bush I and Bush II are there. They have been using China as the model for US freedom for 30 years. Of course they are welcome and I wouldn't be so sure if they asked the press plane to be delayed. It was within Bush II's power to request otherwise. He did not.... mmmmmm makes you think don't it.

[yurizhi]

02:48 PM on 08/08/2008

The Chinese see through Mr Bush's rhetorical agitiprop and are just yanking on his chain , only the press is feeling it . They are trying to remind you that you , as are other journalist in China , only one word away from detention at all times. Thank Pres Bush for your delay Press, he dosen't care about you or me , but he will no doubt probably try to politicize this event to gain sympathy for himself before he imself is put away for his own atrocities and war crimes after he leaves office.

[watchTVgetSTUPID]

06:25 PM on 08/08/2008

The Chinese dictatership government has always been very aware of the media and the theat/influence they hold. I agree this is just a warning to the Journalists that they must not displease the government ... or else.

[vote4peace]

02:35 PM on 08/08/2008

How dare they do this? Don't they know who they are messing with? We are Americans who love freedom and have solved all our own problems and now we are going one step further to help other countries. Even if this mean bombing the hell out of them.This is Press and they have a job to do. To report fair and balanced as how they've been reporting on the Iraq war.

[wvinvent]

02:14 PM on 08/08/2008

It's not surprising. The Chinese Police State does not know how to deal with a Free Press except to send them to jail. The Chinese immigration police were probably about to do that when their bosses told them they better play nice.

[Lemeritus]

02:23 PM on 08/08/2008

Free press? Bought press, more like it.

"Advertisements... contain the only truths to be relied on in a newspaper." -Thomas Jefferson. And, if you follow that thought, you'll realize that the White House Press Corps, at least, has advanced nothing more than advertisements for a corrupt administration -- there's your freedom and truth.

[GravitonX]

03:34 PM on 08/08/2008

American propaganda...lap it up. Oh the great American fish bowl.