US refuses to return remains of 'spy balloon' to China, President Biden directs military

Based on preliminary information about the balloon, the US said on Monday that it was a spy balloon. It violated international norms and sovereignty of states, officials said.

Washington: Tensions between the US and China are increasing over the alleged spy balloon. The US on Monday refused to return the remains of a Chinese spy balloon to it. The balloon was shot down on Saturday off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean in South Carolina. The US military has stepped up its efforts to collect the remains of a Chinese spy balloon that flew over US skies from Montana to South Carolina for several days last week. Based on preliminary information about the balloon, the White House said on Monday that it was a spy balloon. It violated international norms and sovereignty of states, officials said. However, China is denying these allegations outright.

"I don't know of any intention or any such plan to return it (the balloon's remains),"

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said. Before the balloon was shot down by a fighter jet on Saturday, Kirby said a lot of important information had been gathered about it. According to Northern Command Commander General Glenn Vanhark, the balloon was at an altitude of 200 feet. It had a payload of several thousand pounds, usually the size of a regional jet aircraft.

White House Press Secretary Kerin Jean-Pierre said that President Joe Biden has instructed the military, the intelligence community, to collect information about the balloon so that they can learn as much about China's capabilities. State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters that China knows about what it is. US officials said On Monday that the balloon was captured due to president Joe Biden's orders to improve the strengthening of defensive methods against Chinese espionage.

The US has increased surveillance in its territory...

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that since Biden took office, the US has "increased surveillance in its territory." We have improved our ability to detect things that were not there in the previous Donald Trump administration," he said.