Skydrifter - You may also remember the early 80's case od a Rusiian fighter that defected to Japan. The Russkies asked for the a/c back - the US gave it back....after 4 days during which time they had stripped the a/c down to its component parts, measured, photographed and recorded the same and then rebuilt it.
Lets also not forget the fact that throughout the cold war, various USAF and RAF repeatedly violated USSR airspace (and Im talking about flights OVER towns like Kiev and Minsk not just brief forays into contested airspace). How would you feel if their Bears had overflown Newcastle or Boston?
Me, Im no Sino lover or repecter of their Human Rights record, but I am finding this very amusing.