File photo: Xinhua

Shooting down China’s unmanned civilian airship was overreacting and China would safeguard its lawful and legitimate rights and interests, China said on Tuesday.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks at a routine press briefing in Beijing in response to the US not returning the debris from the destroyed unmanned airship.

“The airship belonged to China not the US,” Mao said. “The Chinese government will continue to resolutely safeguard its legitimate and lawful rights and interests.”

China has said that the Chinese airship was used for civil research and that its entry into US airspace was due to “force majeure” and “totally accidental.”

There was no threat to US personnel or national security, Mao said.

“The US should handle such an incident in a calm, professional and non-military manner,” she said. “However, the US insistence on using force was clearly overreacting.”

(Compiled by Wu Meixuan)