Mr. Joseph Prueher, US Ambassador to China and the representative plenipotentiary of the US Government for handling the incident of a US military reconnaissance plane ramming into and destroying a Chinese military aircraft, handed a letter to Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan at 5:30 pm on 11 April at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, to say "very sorry" for the incident.

It is stated in the US letter that "both President Bush and Secretary of State Powell have expressed their sincere regret over your missing pilot and aircraft. Please convey to the Chinese people and to the family of pilot Wang Wei that we are very sorry for their loss." The US side goes on to say that it is "very sorry the entering of China's airspace and the landing did not have verbal clearance."

The US side has also expressed its appreciation of "China's efforts to see to the well being" of its crew.

According to the officials of the Foreign Ministry handling the incident, the case has not been closed. The two sides will hold talks soon to discuss the cause of the incident and ways for the US side to stop dispatching its reconnaissance aircraft to the vicinity of the Chinese coast and prevent the recurrence of such incidents, and other related issues.