Bush writes to wife of missing pilot
George W Bush has written to the grieving wife of the Chinese pilot missing since a collision with a US spy plane.
His gesture comes as top aides cautioned China that ending the stand-off over the spy plane is essential to avoid further straining relations.
Mr Bush's letter was sent to the US embassy in Beijing, which would forward it to the Chinese foreign ministry for delivery to the pilot's wife.
The text of the letter was not made public.
"The purpose of the letter is to respond in a humanitarian way, in an American way, to a widow who is grieving," Secretary of State Colin Powell said. "Whatever you think about the politics of it, she's lost her husband."
The public anguish of his wife Ruan Guoqin has fuelled tensions between the two countries as she accused Mr Bush and his administration of being too cowardly to apologise for the loss of her husband.
The stalemate has entered its second week with the 24 crew members of the EP-3E surveillance plane in Chinese custody on Hainan island in southern China. Their plane was forced to make an emergency landing there after the collision with a fighter jet. The Chinese pilot is missing.
Mr Bush and other top US officials have tried to balance their sympathy for her with tough reminders to Chinese officials that the stand-off is damaging relations between the two countries.
"I don't want to put a timetable on it; every day that goes by without having it resolved raises the risks to the long-term relationship," Vice President Dick Cheney said.
Administration officials were careful to avoid spelling out specific consequences of further delay in sending the Americans home, but repercussions in Congress are possible.
Politicians cited a possible trade fight later this year and an upcoming decision on US weapons sales to Taiwan.
