The United States said it did not plan to return to Beijing the wreckage of a Chinese reconnaissance balloon shot down by the Pentagon on Saturday, even after technical experts complete an analysis of the surveillance capabilities that were on board.. This was stated by the speaker of the National Security Council John Kirby, writes FT.

“I don’t know anything about intentions to return it,” he replied when asked if the United States would return any parts of the balloon found by Navy divers who were operating off the coast of South Carolina.

He also denies China's claims that the United States has violated international law..

“In fact, that’s why we did it [shoot down the balloon] about six miles from the coast, inside our territorial airspace, to comply with international law.. Unlike the Chinese, who did not abide by international law by flying over US sovereign airspace,” Kirby said..

The speaker also said that US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken did not cancel, but only postponed the planned trip to China and the visit will eventually take place..

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the US is using recovered balloon parts to get more information about the system.. He added that the military advised to shoot down the balloon over water to allow more efficient examination of the wreckage than if it were shot down over land..

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The US Navy on Monday continued a rescue operation launched after a balloon plunged into the Atlantic on Saturday afternoon.. General Glen VanHerke, chairman of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and US Northern Command, said the balloon was about over 60 meters high, and the payload under the large balloon—part of the system that carried surveillance equipment—was the size of a regional jet..