President Bush yesterday demanded prompt American access to the crew members of the surveillance aircraft held by China on Hainan Island. He also demanded that China return it "without further tampering".
Tensions between the two countries escalated as China refused the US access to the damaged EP-3 spy aircraft with its sophisticated monitoring equipment and crew of 24.
Mr Bush said China's refusal to let US officials talk to the crew was inconsistent with the desire of both countries for better relations.
Mr Bush said he was troubled by China's refusal to respond to US requests. "The first step should be immediate access by our embassy personnel to our crew members," the President said. "I am troubled by the lack of a timely Chinese response to our request for this access."
The surveillance aircraft made an emergency landing on Hainan Island after colliding with one of two Chinese fighter jets shadowing it on Sunday over the South China Sea.
President Bush said yesterday embassy officials were on the ground in Hainan and prepared to visit the crew and aircraft as soon as China allowed them to do so. "I call on the Chinese government to grant this access promptly," Mr Bush said. Later the State Department spokesman, Mr Richard Boucher, told reporters that Chinese diplomats had offered to grant access today, but he said this was not soon enough. A White House spokesman, Mr Scott McClellan, said the offer was for access late on Tuesday Chinese time.
There were reports last night that the crew said in their last communication after landing that Chinese soldiers were boarding the aircraft.
The US later ordered three warships in the area to move out, the Pentagon said. A spokesman also said China had expressed no interest in US offers to help search for a Chinese fighter jet, and its missing pilot, that crashed.
In a hard-hitting press conference, the US ambassador to China, Admiral Joseph Prueher, called on China to release the crewmen. He said the aircraft was considered sovereign US territory and should not be boarded without permission.
Mr Bush is also facing a crucial decision on whether to sell advanced weapon systems to Taiwan.