Days after shooting down an alleged Chinese spy balloon, the United States of America on 6 February 2023 ruled out the possibility of returning the debris to Beijing.
“I know of no such intention or plans to return it," said National Security Council spokesman John Kirby. The US government had said that initial analysis of the balloon showed that it was a surveillance tool.
The balloon was destroyed on 4 February over the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of South Carolina. The US military has recovered some remnants of the balloon from the surface of the sea, with efforts on to retrieve parts which sank underwater.
China had called the balloon a civilian research airship which blew off course.
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