Two pilots of a crashed Taiwan fighter plane were rescued by mainland fishermen Saturday afternoon off the shore of the eastern Chinese province of Fujian, the provincial Taiwan affairs office said.

At 12:54 pm Saturday, the fighter plane crashed in the sea region between the Taiwan islands and the Chinese mainland, and the two pilots escaped ejecting from the plane, the office said.

At 1:25 pm, the pilots were spotted and saved by the fishermen on two fishing boats belonging to a fishing group based in Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province.

The pilots were immediately transferred to Taiwanese rescue personnel reaching the site where the pilots were saved, according to office.

(Xinhua News Agency September 27, 2003)