Chinese fighters are once again approaching American spy planes as they fly near China's eastern coast, ABCNEWS has learned.

In the last several weeks, the U.S. military has conducted three surveillance missions about 50 to 70 miles off the shores of China — and in each instance, Chinese fighters launched and observed the U.S. aircraft, Pentagon sources said.

The fighters, however, stayed several miles away, at more than a safe distance. An "intercept" is defined as coming within less than 5 miles.

The first surveillance mission, on May 7, involved an Air Force RC-135, and another RC-135 flew last week. Then the Navy launched an EP-3, similar to the one being held on China's Hainan island where it crash-landed last month after colliding with a Chinese jet.

Will It Fly Again?

The fate of the stranded EP-3 remains unsettled.

It was damaged in the collision and landing, and cannot be flown out in its current condition. American civilian experts who examined it earlier this month said it can be repaired.

Washington's latest proposal is to have some 15 workers sent in to repair the plane.

The operation would take 10 to 12 days, and a Russian jet would be chartered to fly in the workers and their equipment — to avoid the specter of U.S. military presence.

Chinese officials have said they would not allow the plane flown out under any conditions, and have not given any approval for repair work.

Some experts believe Beijing's denial is a reaction to the resumption of U.S. surveillance flights off China.

Others note the Chinese public would react poorly to officials allowing the plane to fly off Chinese territory after what is largely perceived as an illegal landing.

The remaining option is to have workers sent in for several weeks to dismantle the aircraft and ship it out on a barge.

Washington's Own Fear of the Skies

Meanwhile, Beijing has rebuffed a senior U.S. diplomat's efforts to overcome opposition to President Bush's plans for a missile defense system.

Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly arrived in Beijing on Monday, hoping to convince Chinese officials that the system would be good for world peace.

After meetings today, Foreign Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi told a news conference: "China's constant position is unchanged. We are opposed to the National Missile Defense because it destroys the global strategic balance and upsets international stability."

Kelly responded by saying he was seeking "a dialogue with Chinese officials on security and stability that reflects today's world" — a reference to the Bush administration's fears of nuclear attack from rogue states — and implying that traditional deterrence ideas held by China are increasingly outdated.

The official Xinhua news agency said Kelly's discussions with Chinese Vice Ministers of Foreign Affairs Li Zhaoxing and Wang Yi would continue.

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