A memorial event marking the 25th anniversary of the sacrifice of Chinese heroic pilot Wang Wei was held Wednesday morning at his cenotaph in Anxian Cemetery in suburban Hangzhou, East China’s Zhejiang Province. Several hundred people attended the event, including a former comrade-in-arms of Wang and local residents. On April 1, 2001, a US military reconnaissance aircraft entered the airspace over China’s Exclusive Economic Zone. Wang piloted his fighter upon order to track and monitor it. During the flight, the American aircraft, defying repeated warnings, suddenly changed direction and collided with Wang’s fighter jet. Failing to save the fighter jet, Wang had no choice but to parachute into the sea, China Military Online reported. He was confirmed dead at the age of 33. Photos: Chen Xia/GT