Now that the American spy plane crew are safely en route home, US and Chinese leaders are trying to decide where next to direct their relationship. Unless both sides are extremely careful, it could take some distinctly wrong turns in the weeks just ahead.
President George W. Bush has already given a hint of that. He called China's decision to hold the 24 crewmen for 11 days 'inconsistent' with both countries' stated common goals, complaining that it 'does not advance a constructive relationship'. Meanwhile, Chinese officials say they will use a meeting beginning on Wednesday in Beijing to seek an end to surveillance flights which the US insists it will continue.
More crucially, Washington is on the verge of making its annual military sales to Taiwan. Mr Bush must resist residual anger over the Hainan incident to avoid seriously souring the relationship; if the package includes three advanced weapons systems strongly opposed by Beijing - and which many American experts insist Taipei doesn't need - tensions will rise much more seriously than they did during the past fortnight.
Perhaps some perspective on spying should be borne in mind. All big nations do it and neither the US nor China breaks that rule. And while Beijing lacks spy planes able to patrol the American coastline, it doesn't hesitate to send electronic ships on intelligence missions close to Japan - including near US Okinawan bases used by spy planes. Tokyo has issued stiff diplomatic notes and withheld loans in protest.
In brief, neither country has much claim to the moral high ground.
So chances of halting the US flights appear slim. But if the two governments are serious about the bigger issues, they might set some rules to prevent future accidents. If American planes have the legal right to fly near China (but not too near), then Chinese fighters have the right to track them closely (but not too closely).
