The searching and rescuing efforts are intensely underway for the missing pilot of the Chinese fighter, which was bumped into and damaged by the US military surveillance plane Sunday morning, according to Foreign Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi in Beijing Monday evening.
Till 16:00 Tuesday local time since the incident, altogether 11 ships and over 20 planes have been sent by both the army and the local government to the site of the water area where the incident took place, Sun said.
However, after rigorous searching a day and night, the whereabouts of the pilot is still unknown.
Sun said that leaders of the Party and government and army are very much concerned about the security of the pilot and have made instructions to relevant departments to go all out to organize the searching and rescuing work.
People throughout the country have also expressed their special concern through various ways, he added.
According to the spokesman, the Chinese navy sent navy vessels and the Guangzhou salvaging bureau sent rescuing ships to the incident water area for searching and rescuing the pilot immediately after the incident took place.
(Xinhua 04/02/2001)
