Local Chinese-language talk shows have been inundated with irate listeners and viewers and more than 90 percent of callers to local radio and television have criticized the US government's handling of the incident, San Francisco Chronicle, a local publication, said on Thursday.

"Most of the people who call in are skeptical of the US government's story. They're leaning toward the Chinese side," said Jay "Stone" Shih, who hosts "China Crosstalk," a half-hour call-in show on KTSF-TV Channel 26.

Many callers to a radio talk show took aim at the perceived arrogance of the US government for not only conducting surveillance missions so close to China but also for immediately demanding the return of the US spy plane which did not get permission to land.

"What makes people angry is the US spy plane got into Chinese airspace and they didn't take responsibility for that," said Joseph Leung, who hosts the radio talks how on Sing Tao Radio AM 1400.

The US EP-3 electronic surveillance plane Sunday bumped into a Chinese jet fighter near Hainan Island in south China, leading it to crash in the South China Sea. The damaged US plane made an emergency landing in the island and a pilot from the crashed fighter is still missing.

The Chinese government have made solemn representations with the US side, demanding Washington bear full responsibility for the incident and apologize to China.

(Xinhua 04/07/2001)