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

[Tom95134]

Bush is taking notes on how to control the press in his final 7 months in office.

[comacoma]

Control the press? The press is owned by the conservative fools ruining our country.

[Troubledgoodangel]

This is not just Bush problem! This is happening because we have a woman running the State Department! The world is not ready to respect women, and we are paying the price!

[truthynesslover]

He doesnt have to control them.they are more concerned with getting the great vacation house in the vinyard.Its pay to play.

[OgreDaddy]

The real fun begins when the press corp attempts to leave with all their video tapes, interview material, contacts and other data.

[Troubledgoodangel]

Indeed. That will be the time when the U.S. will be shown to be a paper tiger in the Chinese zoo!

[crazylikeafox]

They already are. Just are starting to change the exhibition sign to paper kitty.

[HermioneGranger]

Well the cars... think again.

Im not even sure you can buy American cars in Europe.

[Mustang Sally]

Sorry, but what does that have to do the press corps being detained?

[HermioneGranger]

Nothing, sorry. That was somehow misplaced. Probably hut the wrong button

[InofTouch]

check again

[Daly]

Off point but the Ford is one of the largest sellers in the UK which is why they don't mind shafting us homefolk and you might be interested to know that the cars they sell in Europe are better made, more safety features, better gas mileage because that is what they need to do in order to be competitive.

They sell junk and jumbo SUVs here in America because they can.

[aznurse]

I wonder if Homeland Security will confiscate their laptops on the trip back.? Its one of the newest rule they're allowed to follow.

[Troubledgoodangel]

It makes me sick as a U.S. citizen! We are pushovers now, by the Coolies! Where is Condi Rice? Is not her job to immediately recall then Chinese Ambassador. Where is IOC? Arent they supposed to prevent this type of insults?

[Troubledgoodangel]

Every American working in China ought to be ashamed! The Coca Cola and Nike CEOs should give the Chinese an ultimatum and leave the country! Enough is enough!

[stargazer13]

Five golden rings if you buy our bonds

[dtrain51]

I thought Faux Noise had so much pull, pay back is a bitch, MSM see what it's like not to be real journalist, now they cry LMAO.

[texanna]

The Chinese messing with our Prez' entourage -- BECAUSE THEY CAN! Still think we don't owe our souls to them? BTW, let's all just go shop and fa-ged-about it, OK.

[RobBob]

Big deal. So the press is treated like *everyone else*?! Oh, the horror!

What makes them think they're so special?

[NochlessMonster]

Interesting note on the Opening Ceremonies.... seems, at least for the Canadians..... they are having a very hard time getting their cell phones and blackberry devices to work.... Even transmitting from the floor of the stadium up to the broadcast booth....... heh.......

[Furby]

Technical difficulties. The difficulty was overcome and the transmissions were loud and clear, at least on the station I was watching.

[elcojonu]

It's called having fun, busting CJ's.

[ahassan05]

Being detained for three hours is how my and my entire family is treated every time we land in the United States. Why do Americans freak out when they are treated the way they treat everyone else?

I can't even begin to explain the humiliations my poor Grandmother was out through when she tried to get a visa to visit us in DC.

[FirstShirt]

Apparently the chinese didn't like the pundits, either.

[Kevbo68]

I think they're being detained in order that they can be offered jobs in China as they do so well delivering the party line back at home.

[misterbone]

What is the party line these days, anyway? Go shopping?

[Kevbo68]

Buy gas with your relief check!

[nkhogan]

The word 'detain' is very misleading and prejudicial. It could have been an honest mistake...there is not enough information here to see whether or not this is sinister or an abridgement of any sort of freedoms. I tend to think it's a glitch unless a pattern of similar incidents continue to occur.

I think China wants to put its best foot forward and this has caused a temporary loss of face.

[comacoma]

"An honest mistake"... please..... the Chinese knew exactly what they were doing and it was very likely a response to the shrub's sudden interest in human rights. The Chinese were making a statement by detaining the White House press corps.

[NicholeWebb]

The Shrub? lol!

[nkhogan]

It could be, but the Chinese have a lot more to lose than to win by continuing to play this game.

I'm not naive, just wanting to give the Chinese a chance to change and to join the international community. Reading everything through the lens that they're evil ole communists doesn't give them the space to change.

I'm not in the State Department, so indeed it could be a deliberate offense. If so, fine, but good grief, there are more important issues out there. I'm sure the press was nice and comfy whilst they were detained anyway, so I really don't care if they were harassed.

[Mustang Sally]

Exactly - you beat me to it! The IOC owes the world an apology for this travesty called the 2008 Olympics and they should all be fired.

[Furby]

I don't understand why the US thinks the Chinese would "make a statement" here. The Chinese know what they're doing, and pissing off the US is probably pretty low on their priority list right now, what with hosting the biggest party on the planet for two weeks. Perhaps, the US is reading too much into this. The world does not revolve around American politics all the time. As far as George's human rights stance goes, he showed up for the Olympics. Prime Minister Harper of Canada, on the other hand, did not. Guess human rights are a poor excuse in George's book to miss a world party.

[Raymondf]

We can't make the Chinese mad, we have to much money invested in this country, in trade.

[SCG2]

It's nice it's invested somewhere.

[Furby]

Get real. The US is not nearly as "invested" in China as it is "indebted" to China. If you want to call it an investment, then I guess we can look at all that money we owe on our credit cards as an "investment" of some sort, but the dictionary begs to differ.