A spy plane has flown the first United States reconnaissance mission off China's coast since the mid-air collision between a US plane and a Chinese jet caused considerable harm to Sino-US relations.
The RC-135 reconnaissance plane, flying from Kadena Air Base on the Japanese island of Okinawa, flew a routine track along the northern portion of China's coastline.
The unarmed US Air Force plane - which is used routinely for surveillance flights off China's coast - drew no response from the Chinese military, a defence official in Washington said.
No Chinese fighters intercepted the plane, which completed its daylight mission and returned to Kadena Air Base.
The Bush administration had said it intended to resume surveillance flights off China's coast, but today's was the first since the Navy EP-3E Aries II plane collided with a Chinese fighter over the South China Sea last month and was forced to make an emergency landing on Hainan island.
The pilot of the Chinese jet died in the collision and the 24 crew members of the EP-3E were held by on Hainan for 11 days.
Today's RC-135 mission was not escorted by US fighter jets, the defence official said. Such escorts are not normally used, but some in the administration had raised the possibility in light of concern that China would resist further US surveillance.
China has demanded an end to surveillance flights off its coast.
Chinese fighters frequently intercept US surveillance flights off the coast, although it is more common - and done in a more aggressive fashion - on the more southerly routes flown by the Navy EP-3E aircraft.
Defence Secretary Donald H Rumsfeld said yesterday that he believed China would allow the United States to get the EP-3E back, and he said it appeared the plane could be repaired sufficiently on Hainan to fly it out. He said: "We'll know later this week."
PA