China says 2 pilots killed in crash of navy jet

BEIJING – China says a fighter jet crashed during a training mission in the southern island province of Hainan, killing both pilots.

The official PLA Daily says on its microblog that the crash happened Tuesday in the province's southwestern Ledong county and the cause was under investigation.

It said no casualties were reported on the ground. The report did not say what type of plane was involved or give other details.

Located in the South China Sea, Hainan has multiple military installations geared toward enforcing China's claims over virtually the entire waterway. The claims are disputed by other regional governments.

A collision between a U.S. Navy surveillance plane and a Chinese fighter in 2001 led to the U.S. aircraft making an emergency landing on Hainan.