Tensions mounting between U.S., China over plane crash

Washington and Beijing remain at odds over the emergency landing on China`s Hainan Island Sunday of a U.S. Navy EP-3 surveillance plane with 24 crewmen aboard after it collided with a Chinese fighter jet. The incident shows signs of aggravating relations between the two countries.

Three U.S. Embassy officials in China, including Brig. Gen. Neal Sealock, military attache, arrived on the Chinese island Monday to kick off negotiations with their Chinese counterparts. But the talks bogged down over the cause of the accident. The pilot of the Chinese jet is missing after it crashed.

A U.S. military official said that the U.S. is keeping three Navy destroyers in the vicinity of Hainan Island to prevent the Chinese from approaching the surveillance plane, which contains state-of-the-art surveillance equipment. At the time of the collision, the three destroyers were anchored at Hong Kong on their way back to the U.S. They will remain in the area indefinitely instead of resuming their journey home, he said.

U.S. Ambassador to China Joseph Prueher blamed China for detaining the U.S. crewmen and urged Chinese authorities to allow U.S. officials to meet with them.

Lee Jong-Hwan ljhzip@donga.com