WASHINGTON - Chinese authorities produced the surviving pilot of a collision with a US spy plane, who angrily accused the US plane of smashing into his colleague's fighter, as intense diplomatic efforts continued yesterday to ease the stand-off between China and America.
"I am indignant at the actions of the USspy plane crashing our plane," said pilot Zhao Yu, shaking his fist in anger.
"The direct cause of this collision was that the US plane suddenly swerved at a wide angle towards us, making it impossible to avoid it. The US plane seriously violated rules of aviation and should shoulder full responsibility."
China repeated its demand that the US make a full apology for the collision last Sunday which caused the chinese fighter jet to crash into the South China Sea.
While US diplomats were permitted a second meeting with the spy plane's 24 crew members, Beijing backed its version of events by showing an interview on state television with the pilot of the second fighter jet sent to intercept the US plane.
Washington flatly refuses to accept China's demand for an apology, insisting the 'incident' was an accident.
Some military officials have suggested the missing pilot Wang Wei was a 'hot dog', aggressively buzzing US spy planes on a regular basis.
While the US crew remains in Chinese detention, Zhao is to date the only witness who has been permitted to make a public statement.
Zhao said: "I saw the US plane's nosecone and left wing crash into Wang Wei's plane at the same time, the outer propeller on the US plane's left wing smashed the tail of the plane piloted by Wang. I advised Wang Wei 'your tail's been destroyed. Try to hold your course'... Wang Wei replied 'OK'." Some 30 seconds later Wang lost control of the plane.
Zhao added: "Wang Wei asked permission to bail out; I replied 'OK'... after that I lost contact."
While Wang's father proudly described Wang as a 'son of the Chinese nation' now set to be enshrined as a martyr against US aggression, a huge search and rescue mission continued, despite the near certainty he has perished in the South China Sea.
