Bush Calls on China to Return Spy Plane and Crew

April 2 -- Voicing concern over China's refusal to grant access to the 24 crew members on a downed U.S. Navy surveillance aircraft, President Bush today said he was troubled by the Chinese government's inaction.

Bush also called on the Chinese government to return the super surveillance EP-3 Aries plane "without further damaging or tampering."

The U.S. Navy reconnaissance plane made an emergency landing at a military air base on the Chinese island of Hainan after colliding with a Chinese fighter jet late Saturday (local time). The Chinese fighter and its pilot are still reported missing

Bush said he was troubled by the lack of timely response by the Chinese government.

"The first step should be immediate access by our embassy personnel to our crew members," Bush said. "I am troubled bythe lack of a timely Chinese response to our request for this access."

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The statement came as three U.S. diplomats arrived on Hainan Island to negotiate an end to the current standoff.

It is now believed members of the Chinese military boarded the plane and removed the crew after it landed.

Tensions between the two countries have a hit a low reminiscent of the Cold War today as three U.S. Navy destroyers were ordered to stay near Hainan Island.

ABCNEWS has learned the destroyers USS Higgins, USS Hewitt and USS Fitzgerald were about 130 miles east of Hainan in international waters. The destroyers had made a port call in nearby Hong Kong and were en route to the U.S. West Coast on Saturday when they were turned around and ordered to stay in the region. Officials say the destroyers will remain in the area indefinitely.

Washington is concerned about the fate of the highly classified EP-3, which one Pentagon source dubbed "the most sensitive aircraft in the U.S. inventory." It was not known if the Chinese have had access to highly sensitive information on board the aircraft.

While the United States considers the EP-3 sovereign U.S. "territory," similar to an embassy, U.S. officials have admited they could not prevent Chinese officials from boarding the plane.