Lieutenant Osborn said the Chinese who detained the crew were polite and respectful, but added that he and his compatriots had undergone unpleasant interrogations. He described the crash as an accident, but said the Chinese pilot had flown dangerously close to the US plane. Tough exchanges expected Beijing has continued to take a different view, hailing Wang Wei, the pilot of its F-8 jet, as a martyr as it acknowledged that there was no chance of finding him alive. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue rejected US assertions that Wang was responsible for the collision. US and Chinese representatives are due to meet on Wednesday to discuss events leading up to the incident on 1 April.
Correspondents say the hardening of tones in both capitals sets the scene for some tough exchanges.
The plane's crew members were only allowed to leave Hainan island after statements of regret from Washington. From the outset, China has demanded that Washington accept blame for the collision and apologise, but President George W Bush has refused to do so. China found the formula adequate to allow the crew to be released on 11 April.