U.S. recovers balloon debris, China protests
The Hindu
The Chinese government on Tuesday reiterated its criticism of the shooting down of the balloon, calling it an ‘overreaction’
United States authorities have begun collecting remnants of the Chinese surveillance balloon that was shot down on Sunday, sparking a diplomatic row between Washington and Beijing.
The Chinese government on Tuesday reiterated its criticism of the shooting down of the balloon, calling it an “overreaction”.
The Biden administration has asserted that downing the balloon is not a violation of international law.
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“The answer is unequivocally ‘No’,” White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on a Monday briefing call.
“The airship does not belong to the U.S., it belongs to China,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said, when asked if Beijing had requested the U.S. to return the debris.
However, the U.S. has no plans to return the debris to Beijing. “I know no such intention or plans to return it,” said Mr Kirby.