China admits interrogating air crew
China's top military newspaper has defended the Beijing government after it admitted questioning the 24-strong American air crew.
The Liberation Army Daily said China is entitled to 'thoroughly investigate' the crew and their spy plane and demanded an end to surveillance flights near the coast.
The crew has been held at military facilities on Hainan Island since the April 1 collision of their EP-3E surveillance plane with a Chinese fighter jet over the South China Sea. The Chinese pilot is missing.
American diplomats have had their third meeting with the 24 crew members on the island where the plane made an emergency landing.
China accuses the pilot of breaking the law by making an emergency landing at a Chinese air base without asking permission.
The US Navy plane is believed to have been monitoring military radio, radar and other signals when it collided with one of two Chinese fighter jets sent to track it.
Beijing and Washington agree that the collision took place in international airspace about 50 miles outside China's territorial waters.
China also claims an exclusive economic zone extends 230 miles out to sea and says the plane had no right to conduct surveillance there. The White House has refused to apologise, saying it believes the collision was an accident.
A diplomat who met with the crew said they were in high spirits after receiving e-mails from their families.
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