China Releases U.S. Plane Crew

* Re “China Frees U.S. Crew, Ending 11-Day Standoff,” April 12: This is so typical of the Chinese. They receive most-favored-nation status from the U.S.--thank you, Bill Clinton--regardless of their horrendous record in human rights, and this is how they deal with us.

We’re no angels, to be sure. But the Chinese government sees what it wants to see, hears what it wants to hear. And what it sees and hears is “very sorry.” That’s it. Heaven forbid their officials should tell their public the actual facts of the affair, or even the basic contents of the U.S. statement: that we’re very sorry for having landed on Chinese soil without permission (after repeated maydays were ignored), and that a Chinese pilot is most likely dead (after he flew his jet fighter into our turboprop aircraft in international airspace). I don’t recall reading anything to the effect that the United States is sorry for having caused the incident in any way, or that we take responsibility for Wang Wei’s death.

And I’m sorry, too, that Wang is dead. But, by all accounts, he got a little too clever just one too many times, nearly killing 25 people in the process, instead of just himself.

RICK MORGAN

Dana Point

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I was “very” sorry that the U.S. was blackmailed by the Chinese.

GARY DURRETT

Glendale

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Now that our airmen are home safely, it is time to talk honestly to the Chinese. How about an apology for the abuse of human rights in your country? How about an “I’m sorry” for the persecution of the Falun Gong? How about a “very sorry” for the flouting of intellectual property rights and the piracy of movies and CDs? How about a “very, very sorry” for the arbitrary arrests of Americans charged with spying? How about even a “regret” for Tibet?

The conduct of the Chinese this past week calls for some reciprocity. We should not support Chinese entry into the WTO or the Beijing bid for the Olympics until we get a public apology for their sorry record on human rights.

SAUL J. FAERSTEIN

Beverly Hills