Fanciful hot-air balloons held in China

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Three of New Mexico's heavyweight politicians still are trying to liberate more than a dozen special-shape balloons from China in time for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

On Tuesday, Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall announced the balloons would be back in time for fiesta which kicks off Saturday. The joint news release referenced the senator's work with the Chinese embassy in Washington.

"That would make me very happy if that were indeed the case," owner-pilot Frank Wechter told KRQE News 13. "The balloons unfortunately are still in Beijing. They are currently in Chinese customs."

Later on Tuesday, a statement from Gov. Bill Richardson said he was working with China's Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong to get the balloons through Chinese customs.

However Richardson said there's still work to do.

Wechter told News 13 Tuesday that the earliest the balloons would be shipped is Friday, the day before Fiesta begins. Wechter said there's not enough time to get the balloons back for the Special Shape Rodeo on Thursday and Friday Oct. 8 and 9.

The special shapes of fanciful and recognizable designs are a popular element of the Balloon Fiesta which annually draws about 600 balloons and tens of thousands of visitors from around the world to Albuquerque.

Among the shapes stuck in China after an event in Inner Mongolia are the Darth Vader balloon styled after the Star Wars character and Wechter's giant shopping bag.

Last week the delay in repatriating the balloons was characterized as a dispute with a shipping company involving a payment of extra money one pilot called extortion.

Pilots have said that even when the balloons are returned it will take several days to get through U.S. Customs. There also are concerns about how the balloons have been stored in China.