Relations with Washington had been strained for some time: many in China still believed that that the bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade was not an accident; Chinese-American scientists had been accused of passing nuclear secrets to Beijing; a US reconnaissance plane had made a forced landing on the island of Hainan after a mid-air crash with a Chinese fighter; and the thorny issue of American support for Taiwan’s anti-missile defences remained. But observers had failed to reckon with the biggest threat to the country’s stability.
Xinjiang and the 'War Against Terror': We Have Terrorists Too
There was surprise at the speed with which China moved to support the coalition against terrorism led by the United States.