Year in Pictures: 2001

April:
The downing of a U.S. spy plane on the Chinese island of Hainan brought U.S.-Chinese relations to their most dangerous precipice since the 1996 showdown in the Taiwan Strait. Careful diplomacy averted confrontation and saw the captive U.S. crew released, although the incident heightened tension and mutual suspicions, particularly over Taiwan. China eventually returned the aircraft — in pieces.

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