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The US Navy released photos of the wreckage of a Chinese spy balloon. Photos/BBC
BEIJING – Ministry of Foreign Affairs China has requested that the administration of the President Joe Biden returned the debris from his spy balloon saying it “belongs to China”. Military United States of America (USA) shot down a spy balloon off America’s east coast last Saturday.
Speaking at a news briefing on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning was asked whether Beijing had requested that the balloon debris be returned.
“The plane (spy balloon) does not belong to the US. It belongs to China” he said as quoted from RT, Wednesday (8/2/2023).
Ning’s comments come three days after US fighter jets shot down the spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina. The Pentagon claims to have detected the balloon on Wednesday.
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US President Joe Biden has faced strong criticism for allowing the balloon to cross the continent, past nuclear missile sites and other sensitive military assets, before shooting it down.
China’s Foreign Ministry on Friday said the balloon was a civilian meteorological research aircraft that entered US airspace by mistake after being thrown off course. Ning said some US politicians and media were “hyping” the incident to attack and smear China. He declined to provide further details about the plane on Tuesday.
“The Chinese side has provided information about the drone on several occasions,” Ning said.
“I have nothing to add at this time,” he continued.
Read: Facts about China’s spy balloons in the US
