A resolution was reached Wednesday between U.S. and Chinese governments for the release of American military personnel being detained there.

U.S. Ambassador Joseph Prueher sent a letter to Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiazuan expressing regret that the spy plane had entered China’s airspace to make an emergency landing, which prompted the detainment.

“We are very sorry the entering of China’s airspace and the landing did not have verbal clearance,” according to the American statement at CNN.com. “We appreciate China’s efforts to see to the well-being of our crew.”

China agreed to release the 24 crew members of the EP-3E spy plane which collided with a Chinese military fighter plane April 1. A chartered plane from Guam landed on Hainan Island late Wednesday. Final negotiations are now under way for the release of the crew members and the crew should be back in America within 24 hours. Negotiations for the spy plane, however, have not come to a resolution.

“There are going to be a lot of Americans who are going to be sour at China,” said Richard Mansbach, professor of political science. “The relationship between the U.S. and China won’t go away.”

The United States government still has to decide if it will sell weapons to Taiwan, he said, and China has already spoken against such a deal. Congress might reconsider a vote last year making China a most-favored nation, Mansbach said, allowing them to become members of the World Trade Organization. This has yet to be voted on by the WTO.

“In terms of day-to-day activities, [the relationship] will do just fine,” he said. “The Chinese tend to forget easily.”

Although the United States apologized for the ordeal, Mansbach said the government hasn’t totally conceded to fault. The Chinese are trying to become a global power both in the economy and military, he said, and top Communist leaders in the Chinese government wouldn’t want their public to perceive them as weak in the eyes of the world. This is why, Mansbach said, the Chinese are demanding an apology, claiming the U.S. plane hit theirs.

Reaction to yesterday’s news put an end to assumptions about how President George W. Bush would perform under pressure.

“He did fine, assuming this thing is all wrapped up,” said Steffen Schmidt, university professor of political science. “Initially, it looked like we’re caught off guard. This shows [Bush’s] foreign-policy team is a little divided, and he went back and forth in dealing with this problem.”

Schmidt said this crisis will better prepare the United States and the Bush administration in their dealings with future international situations.

“I think it has kind of been like spring training for the Bush administration,” he said, adding it definitely won’t be the last time the United States will deal with China.

Mansbach said he thinks Bush took advice from others during this crisis, which isn’t a bad thing because the president shouldn’t always assume he knows everything.

“I think Bush took other people’s advice,” he said. “I think this is a triumph for Secretary of State Colin Powell.”