Sunday April 1 2:32 PM ET
China Blames American Plane for Mid-Air Collision

By Andrew Browne

BEIJING (Reuters) - China accused a U.S. surveillance plane of ramming one of its fighters in mid-air over the South China Sea Sunday in a collision which threatened to blow up into a major diplomatic storm.

The U.S. aircraft made an emergency landing on China's southern island of Hainan.

U.S. officials immediately scrambled to try to secure the release of the 24 crew, who were all reported safe, along with the plane and its highly-sensitive surveillance equipment.

China said one of its fighter planes had crashed as a result of Sunday's incident and rescuers were searching for the pilot.

An angry statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Beijing had lodged a ``solemn representation and protest'' and reserved the right to seek damages.

It threatened further ``representations'' over the plane entering Chinese air space and landing without permission.

China-U.S. relations have only recently been fully restored after a U.S. plane on a NATO mission bombed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade in May 1999.

That incident sparked furious protests by stone-throwing crowds outside the U.S. embassy in Beijing.

According to the U.S. Navy version of the incident, one of its EP-3 maritime patrol aircraft was on a ``routine surveillance'' mission in international air space when it brushed one of two Chinese F-8 fighters on an interception mission.

But China laid the blame squarely on the U.S. plane.

Plane ``Suddenly Veered''

``In accordance with international practice, the Chinese military aircraft were engaged in normal pursuit and monitoring activities of the U.S. military surveillance plane near China's coast,'' the Chinese foreign ministry statement said.

It said the U.S. plane ``suddenly veered'' toward the Chinese aircraft.

``The nose and left wing of the U.S. plane hit the Chinese plane and caused it to crash,'' the statement said.

China was making ``proper arrangements'' for the 24 U.S. crew, the statement added, without giving any details.

The U.S. ambassador to China, Admiral Joseph Prueher, met China's vice foreign minister Sunday ``in an initial meeting to resolve the situation,'' State Department spokeswoman Michelle King said.

President Bush, who was at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland, had been informed of the crash, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said.

He said the White House was ``closely monitoring'' the situation and expected China to return the crew.

``That is our expectation. That is the standard practice. We would expect them to follow it,'' Fleischer said.

The U.S. Embassy in Beijing was sending officers to Hainan to try to see the crew Monday local time.

``We've been assured they are safe and well,'' King said.

Mayday Distress Signal

A U.S. Navy statement said the American plane was damaged badly enough to issue a ``Mayday'' distress signal and make an emergency landing on a Hainan airfield. The incident occurred at about 9:15 a.m. Chinese time (0115 GMT) Sunday.

``One of our goals right now is to find out the extent of damage. We know the crew appears to be OK, and we want to find out what the status of the aircraft is also,'' said Air Force Lt. Col. Dewey Ford, spokesman for the U.S. Pacific Command.

One member of the Air Force, one Marine, and 22 Navy personnel were believed to be on board the plane, which operates from the Kadena Air Base in Japan.

The EP-3 is a four-engine, propeller-driven reconnaissance aircraft that uses electronic surveillance equipment to eavesdrop on ships and surrounding areas.

It has a nearly 100-foot (30-meter) wing span, is nearly 106 feet (32 meters) long, and has 24 seats. It is capable of flying for more than 12 hours and has a more than 3,000-nautical mile range.

``We expect that the (Chinese) government will respect the integrity of the aircraft and the well-being and safety of the crew in accordance with international practices, expedite any necessary repairs to the aircraft, and facilitate the immediate return of the aircraft and crew,'' a statement from the U.S. Pacific Command said.

U.S. Sen. John McCain, a former Navy combat pilot who was shot down over Vietnam, said Chinese authorities should not enter or inspect the aircraft because of the sensitive equipment on board.

``I hope the Chinese will help us repair the airplane and get it off that island quickly,'' McCain, an Arizona Republican, told NBC's ``Meet the Press.''

Sino-U.S. Ties Strained

China claims sovereignty over the entire South China Sea, including islands also claimed wholly or partly by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

The United States officially takes no position on the territorial disputes, but insists that freedom of navigation must be maintained in the important sea route.

The collision comes amid a period of uncertainty and strain in China-U.S. relations under the new U.S. administration of President Bush.

There are concerns in Beijing that the new U.S. administration is more pro-Taiwan, inclined to stress ties with Japan over China and adopt a more confrontational approach on human rights.

China is particularly worried about possible U.S. sales of high-tech weaponry to Taiwan, including the Aegis radar system, and the prospect that Washington will press ahead with an anti-missile defense shield.

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