I'd like to make a 50-50 bet that the Chinese F-8 (J-8) interceptor pilot never went down in the drink. The Taiwanese, who were watching all of this on radar, never mentioned that one "blip" went missing after the contact was made.
Also, other sources say that interceptor No. 2 fired accross the EC-3s bow to make it "follow me" to Hainan Island. So what's this bull s*it the Chinese are saying about "illegally" invading their territory.
Tom Clancy could not have put it beeter. The whole incident seems like it was planned, at least to some extent.