The suspected Chinese spy balloon shot down by a U.S. fighter jet “belongs to China” and not the United States, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday (February 7).
When asked whether China had asked the U.S. to return the debris from the downed balloon, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the balloon is “not American”, adding that Beijing “will continue to defend its legitimate rights and interests”.
The U.S. Coast Guard on Monday (February 6) imposed a temporary security zone in waters off South Carolina during the military’s search for debris from the balloon.
A White House official said the balloon’s flight over the United States had done nothing to improve already tense relations with China and dismissed Beijing’s contention it was for meteorological purposes.
