25 years ago today, a mid-air collision sparked an 11-day U.S.–China standoff

NPR | By Scott Tong

Published April 1, 2026 at 5:00 PM EDT

On April 1, 2001, a midair collision between an American aircraft and a Chinese plane sparked an 11-day diplomatic crisis — and the two countries still tell very different stories.

Scott Tong

Scott Tong joined Here & Now as a host in July 2021 after more than two decades reporting from around the globe.

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