By the third day of the dispute, Chinese President Jiang Zemin, here greeting a foreign visitor, was making his own demands. Then came the first demand for an American apology. The most urgent thing that the U.S. must do is not to make unreasonable requests, but to reflect and apologize to the Chinese. The Chinese government and Chinese people have a right to know why the U.S. sent their surveillance planes over Chinese territorial waters. The next day, China's ambassador to the U.S., appearing on the NewsHour, portrayed his country as the victim.
China is the injured party.
Our man, you know, is missing, and it's caused by the U.S. side. I think at least the U.S. Side should apologize. China is a sovereign country. We have our own dignity, so we have to safeguard our own sovereignty and dignity. And this issue has been caused not by the Chinese side, but by the American side.