On the eve of the 25th anniversary of the Hainan spy plane crisis, The Wire China talks with participants and reviews first-person accounts of the incident.
Illustration by Sam Ward
Twenty-five years ago this week, on April 1, 2001, a Chinese fighter jet collided with a U.S. Navy spy plane over the South China Sea near Hainan island. The fighter jet plunged into the ocean; its pilot was never found.
The badly damaged U.S. plane made an emergency landing at a coastal People’s Liberation Army air base, and its 24-member crew was held for 11 days. The incident was the first major foreign policy challenge for President George W. Bush’s new administration.
In the first
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.
Now on podcast platforms everywhere, The Wire China hits the airwaves to take you behind the scenes of the stories we cover each week. We are dedicated to understanding and explaining one of the biggest stories of our time: China’s economic rise and its influence on the world.
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.
