Local Crewmembers on Navy EP-3

Lieutenant junior-grade Regina Kauffman is from Warminster, Bucks County. Lieutenant Marcia Sonon is from Lenhartsville, Berks County.

They are two of 24 crew members who have yet to be allowed any contact with American diplomats in China, and who`s treatment by Chinese authorities is ruffling a lot of feathers in Washington, D.C.

This all comes in the wake of this past weekend`s incident, that saw the American EP-3 surveillance plane come into contact with a Chinese F-8 fighter jet.

The collision took place in the South China Sea.

One Chinese pilot is still missing.

The American plane had to land on the Chinese island of Hainan, due east of Vietnam.

The U.S. and China are blaming each other for the mid-air contact.

But for President Bush, the real problem is that the Chinese have not allowed the U.S. to establish contact with the crew.

China is apparently saying that access to the crew will be allowed Tuesday.

American officials are taking a wait-and-see attitude.

The U.S. is also very concerned that no Chinese board and look at the Navy`s ultra-sophisticated spy plane.

Relations between the U.S. and China have been tense in recent years, and this situation is certainly not making them any better.

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Author: 6 ABC - Action News