During the meeting, Neal Sealock, defense attache with the US embassy in Beijing, and other US diplomats talked with the 24 crew members for about 40 minutes.

The crew are in good health and in high spirits, Sealock told reporters after the meeting.

The crew members said they are very much satisfied with the e- mails and daily necessities passed to them by the Chinese side, Sealock added.

They reported that their living quarters are very good, with air-conditioning and very clean, and they are treated kindly, Sealock said.

According to Sealock, the US crew members also hope that the matter can be settled as soon as possible through efforts by the two sides.

Chen Ci, head of the Foreign Affairs and Overseas Chinese Affairs Department of Hainan Province, briefed reporters on the meeting at a hotel in Haikou.

"It's known to all that Hainan Island is a pleasant tourist destination and local residents are used to living in peace and tranquility," Chen said.

"However, the frequent surveillance flights near the island by US military planes, and especially this collision caused by the US surveillance plane, have seriously affected the normal life of local people and had a negative impact on the tourism industry of the island province," the Chinese official added.

Chen said that the local people demand that the United States stop such surveillance activities and apologize to the Chinese people for the incident.

"US tourists are welcome to Hainan for sight-seeing and vocations, but certainly US spy planes are not welcome here," Chen said.

Sealock and other US diplomats met the spy plane crew on April 3, April 6 and April 8.

(People's Daily 04/09/2001)