More talks planned Before leaving Beijing on Friday, the top American negotiator said more talks lay ahead. In the talks, American negotiators presented a written proposal for U.S. experts to inspect the plane where it landed, on the Chinese island of Hainan, to determine whether to repair and fly it out or ship it out in pieces, U.S. officials said. The U.S. negotiators also presented a proposal for ways to ensure that such collisions do not recur, the officials said. They proposed discussing it at a meeting of a U.S.-China military maritime commission. No date was set but American officials said it might take place in two weeks.
Satellite photos suggest Chinese experts are inspecting the plane's sophisticated electronics.
The 24-member crew was only allowed to return to the United States after 11 days on the island. Another irritant in U.S.-China relations comes as Washington is to make a decision, possibly next week, on selling weapons to Taiwan. Taiwan arms resented The administration has tried to separate the weapons package from the dispute over U.S. spy flights. China bitterly resents the Taiwan arms sales. China's communist government considers the island a breakaway province and has threatened to use force to capture it.