China's foreign ministry said today it had accepted a US proposal to dismantle the crippled American EP-3 spy aircraft held on Hainan Island since April 1st and return it to the United States in pieces.
"The United States has submitted a proposal to take apart the plane and take it back to the US," foreign ministry spokesman Mr Zhu Bangzao told a news conference.
"The Chinese side has agreed to that," he said in an implicit claim of victory after Washington had initially said the damaged aircraft could be repaired and insisted it be flown off Hainan.
China has consistently said it would not allow that and Mr Zhu repeated its refusal today.
"The two sides will continue to negotiate on the technical details of returning the plane," Mr Zhu said. "We do not agree to flying the plane out of China. This is impossible."
China-US relations have been severely strained since the collision between the spy aircraft and a Chinese fighter jet over the South China Sea.
The US aircraft made an emergency landing on Hainan following the collision, which sent the Chinese fighter crashing into the sea, and China detained the 24-member crew for 11 days before allowing them to return to the United States.
It freed the crew after Washington insisted the EP-3 was not responsible for the collision but said it was "very sorry" the Chinese pilot had been killed and that the US plane made an emergency landing on Hainan without prior authorisation.