21.   The craft was also grounded for five days in Vietnam, awaiting permission from Chinese authorities to fly through Chinese airspace and suffered engine problems in Saudi Arabia.

22.   The fighter jets were sent up to track the plane as it approached Chinese airspace.

23.   Three round-the-world balloonists drifted high over the Himalayas on Tuesday, hoping to catch a jetstream out of prohibited Chinese airspace as quickly as possible.

24.   Totty, the U.S. military spokesman, confirmed that interceptions are common but denied that U.S. planes routinely intrude on Chinese airspace.

25.   Turning down last-minute appeals by European diplomats, China refused Tuesday to allow balloonists attempting a round-the-world flight to cross into Chinese airspace.

26.   Zhu repeated Chinese government assertions that the American plane violated Chinese airspace during its surveillance flight off the south Chinese coast.