The Hainan Spy Plane Crisis 25 Years Later

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25 years ago, a Chinese and a U.S. plane collided over the waters off of China’s southern coast. The Chinese pilot was never found, while the 24 surviving American crew members made an emergency landing on a Chinese military base on the island of Hainan.ShareIn this special episode, The Wire China kicks off our two-part oral history series on the Hainan spy plane crisis, a defining diplomatic test for both nations at the beginning of the so-called “Asian Century.” Editor Tom Mitchell, reporter Rachel Cheung, and The Wire China team bring together the voices of the officials, pilots, diplomats, and military personnel who were there to understand how they navigated the crisis — and if such an incident might occur again.The full oral histories will release in two parts on thewirechina.com over the next two weeks.Cover image: Members of the detained EP-3 crew salute as they board a chartered aircraft which will fly them from Haikou, China, to Guam. Credit: DoDSubscribe nowInterested in full access to The Wire China content? Learn more about subscribing: https://www.thewirechina.com/subscriptions/TranscriptTom: Hi, I’m Tom Mitchell, The Wire China’s features editor. This week we are publishing the first of a two-part oral history series to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hainan spy plane crisis.On April 1, 2001, a Chinese jet fighter and an American EP-3 reconnaissance or spy plane collided over the South China Sea near the tropical island province of Hainan. The jet fighter plunged into the sea and its pilot, Wang Wei, was never found. The spy plane almost crashed as well, wit…