China 'has already searched spy plane'

A US envoy in Beijing said China has almost certainly already searched the spy plane.

According to US officials, the last message from the crew said Chinese soldiers were boarding the EP-3 plane, which is packed with sensitive monitoring equipment.

American diplomats are anxiously awaiting access to the 24 stranded crew, who have been in China since the Navy surveillance plane made an emergency landing near Lingshui on Hainan island.

Ambassador Admiral Joseph Prueher said: "We are sure the crew is not on the airplane and we have every reason to think the Chinese have been all over the airplane."

China's president has demanded the US stop surveillance flights after the collision with a Chinese fighter jet.

China's foreign ministry also called for an apology for the collision over the South China Sea, which Beijing blames on the United States.

President Jiang Zemin said the unarmed EP-3 violated international law and intruded into Chinese airspace by making an emergency landing without permission.

Admiral Prueher said the Chinese foreign ministry had given diplomats "the expectation" they would meet the crew on Tuesday evening, but didn't say Beijing had formally committed to the meeting.

The collision occurred about 60 miles south-east of Hainan, a popular tourist destination 400 miles west of Hong Kong.

The US military says the EP-3 was on a routine surveillance mission in international air space.