Chinese sources tell CNN the plane was boarded by Chinese troops upon landing on Hainan. U.S. diplomats and Chinese officials meet with the spy plane's crew. It is the first contact U.S. authorities have had with the crew since the plane landed on Hainan. Chinese President Jiang Zemin calls for a U.S. apology over the collision and demands that American spy flights stay away from Chinese territory. The Pentagon says Chinese troops have boarded the grounded spy plane and begun removing gear from the aircraft.
China calls the comments a step in the right direction.
Pentagon sources say the Aries crew destroyed the most sensitive equipment aboard the Aries before landing in China. China's ambassador to the United States tells CNN the crew will remain in China while Chinese authorities investigate the incident. Bush says he regrets the apparent loss of the Chinese pilot. He does not want the dispute to destabilize Sino-U.S. relations but says the crew should come home. China welcomes Bush's expression of regret but holds out for a full U.S. apology for the midair tangle.