Drone incident highlights high-stakes rivalry in South China Sea
While it was the first time the Chinese have seized a US underwater drone, the two sides have a history of South China Sea confrontation
While the unprecedented seizure of a US underwater drone by the Chinese navy has escalated Sino-US tensions in the South China Sea, it is not the first high-profile military incident in the region.
On April 1, 2001, a US Navy EP-3E Aries II signals intelligence aircraft and a Chinese J-8 fighter jet collided 110km off the coast of Hainan.
The US plane issued a Mayday distress call before making an emergency landing on the island, leading to the seizure of its 24 crew members along with its intelligence equipment. The Chinese jet, one of two that intercepted the US plane, crashed into the sea, killing the pilot.
The Pentagon accused the Chinese of aggressively tailing its aircraft while the Chinese protested that the American plane veered in an unusual fashion, causing the collision. The incident triggered a huge outpouring of anti-American sentiment in China. The missing pilot Wang Wei was given a funeral with full military honours.
The incident sparked a major diplomatic upset, even before both country’s presidents, Jiang Zemin and George W. Bush, met for the first time. The US crew were released on April 11.