China is stepping up efforts to search for the parachuted pilot of the fighter jet bumped into and damaged by a US military surveillance plane Sunday morning, said an official of the National Defense Ministry Wednesday.

Up to the small hours Wednesday, China had sent a total of 48 planes and 29 vessels in search of the missing pilot, he said.

Chinese President Jiang Zemin has expressed concerns over the safety of the pilot on several occasions. Before he left for a six-nation tour of Latin America Wednesday morning, he instructed the navy to search for and rescue the pilot at all costs.

(Xinhua 04/04/2001)