The US has expressed its regret at the death of the Chinese fighter pilot, Wang Wei, after a mid-air collision with an EP-3 spy plane.

The conciliatory gesture comes as the captivity of the plane's 24-strong crew in the south China military base of Hainan island enters its fifth day.

Yang Jiech, the Chinese ambassador to Washington has insisted on an American apology for the incident and China's president, Jiang Zemin, has said that the US "should bear all responsibilities for the collision".

Pentagon officials have revealed that the Chinese pilot was previously known as a hazard after flying close to US aircraft in the past.