By CALUM MACLEOD and ANDREW BUNCOMBE
Chinese television broadcast an interview with 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 to ease the stand-off between China and America.
"I am indignant
at the actions of the US spy 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, described as not having been mistreated and in good spirits despite their detention on the South Chinese island of Hainan, 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." China's state media gave prominent play to Wang's wife and parents who attempted to celebrate the missing pilot's birthday, coinciding with the anniversary of the annual tomb-sweeping festival of Quing Ming, when people pay respects to the dead.
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.
If the pilot's account seems set to enflame nationalist passions within China, Beijing nevertheless was vigilant in keeping a firm lid of public protest against the US.
Police prevented a number of university students in Beijing from organising protests and handing out leaflets that called for a boycott of US businesses and the stoning of the Chinese capital's Starbucks coffee shops.
A foreign ministry spokeswoman reiterated that the Chinese government's position has not changed. "China's position is clear: the United States must admit full responsibility and apologise to the Chinese people."
US officials said yesterday they they believed there has been progress in negotiating the crew's release.
Brigadier General Neal Sealock, the US military attache in Beijing, said after visiting the US crew members that he and US diplomats also checked that they had received books, toiletries and other supplies.
"The crew is in great spirits. They are all together and are looking forward to being released," he said.
It emerged that the first message passed on by the diplomats was from President Bush who wished to pass on his "pride" in the crew.
The US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, who has acted as the US 'point man' on this entire affair, said in Washington that the crew was being held in "clean, well-lit rooms."
Mr Powell said the crew were living in Chinese officers' quarters two to a room, except for the three women, who were sharing a single room, and the aircraft commander who was being held separately.
He said that there was a general agreement to seeing the crew on a "regular basis", a phrase seized on by some as an indication that a swift conclusion was not in sight.
- INDEPENDENT
Herald Online feature: Spy plane standoff
Map
China Daily
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Official site of Chinese Government
China People's Daily
Jane's Military Aerospace: EP3
US Pacific Command
By CALUM MACLEOD and ANDREW BUNCOMBE
Chinese television broadcast an interview with 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 to ease the stand-off between China and America.
"I am indignant
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