The man who negotiated the release of the EP-3 spyplane crew from China in 2001 is worried about the U.S. and China’s communications.
Then Defense Attaché Army Brigadier General Neal Sealock speaks to journalists after returning from a meeting with members of the detained U.S. aircrew in Haikou, on China's Hainan Island, April 4, 2001. Credit: Greg Baker via AP Newsroom
Watching the recent drama around the Chinese surveillance balloon, retired Army Brigadier-General Neal Sealock thought back 22 years. In 2001, he was the defense attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. When a Chinese fighter jet collided with a U.S. EP-3 reconnaissance plane over the South China Sea on April 1, 2001, killing the Chinese pilot and forcing the EP-3 to make an emergency landing in China — where the 24-person crew was then detained — Sealock handled the negotiations.
Amid a
Exclusive longform investigative journalism, Q&As, news and analysis, and data on Chinese business elites and corporations. We publish China scoops you won't find anywhere else.
A weekly curated reading list on China from Andrew Peaple.
A daily roundup of China finance, business and economics headlines.
We offer discounts for groups, institutions and students. Go to our Subscriptions page for details.
In an excerpt from his new book, Nicolas Niarchos examines how China and the Democratic Republic of Congo negotiated an infrastructure-for-commodities agreement involving two large Chinese state-owned enterprises and unlikely private sector partner.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OKPrivacy policy
