The United States and China were closer to freeing the crew of a US spy plane held since last week, the White House said Saturday, while again ruling out a formal apology to Beijing over the dispute.

US officials separately described President George W. Bush as "hopeful" that the 21 men and three women would be home "soon and safely," and as "concerned and persistent" in urging China to release them.

Beijing's latest call for Washington to apologize for the collision between the US aircraft and a Chinese fighter -- whose pilot is still missing -- met with "no change" in US refusals to do so, said White House spokesman Ari Fleischer.

Chinese Vice Premier Qian Qichen sent a sternly worded letter to the US State Department that reportedly says "the US side should face up to the facts, adopt a positive and practical attitude, and apologize to the Chinese people."

"The response is that the United States will continue its diplomatic efforts to secure the release of the men and women," Fleischer said, adding that the two sides made progress in "sensitive" round-the-clock negotiations.

US officials who met alone with the crew for an hour found them "in very good spirits," cheered by emails from home, fresh toiletries, t-shirts, and nuggets of the latest US sports news, said Fleischer.

His comments came as both sides labored to hammer out a joint letter expressing US regret but falling well short of apologizing for the collision, which forced the US plane to make an emergency landing on Hainan island off southern China.

Bush, spending the weekend at the Camp David presidential retreat, was briefed by national security advisor Condoleezza Rice on the meeting as well as ongoing efforts to win the crew's release.

"The president is both concerned and persistent," Fleischer said. "He persists in his belief that the time has come, our men and women should be brought home."

Prodded, the spokesman it was "still a fair assessment" to say that the two sides were making progress in talks that "remain sensitive."

Fleischer confirmed that Bush had received a letter from the wife of the downed Chinese pilot but declined to comment on its contents or his reaction.

"The president's effort remains the same, to secure the release of our men and women, that's what all these sensitive diplomatic talks are aimed at," he said.

Asked whether Qian's letter had smothered Bush's optimism that the US personnel would be free soon, a US national security spokeswoman replied: "No, I think that we're hopeful that we'll see the crew members returned soon and safely."

The spokeswoman, Mary Ellen Countryman, said access to the crew and the crippled airplane will provide key details on the circumstances of the collision, which the pilot of a second Chinese fighter involved blames on the US plane.

"We can't know with precision what happened up there until we are able to speak to the other witnesses to that, and that is our crew members. It would also be helpful to get access to the plane and any recording equipment," she said.

Countryman said frenetic diplomatic contacts continued overnight Friday, with US Ambassador Joseph Prueher meeting twice with China's assistant foreign minister, and added that the talks were "still at a sensitive point."

(China Daily 04/08/2001)