China has demanded that the US return a Chinese spy plane which was forced to make an emergency landing in Hawaii earlier this month.
The Chinese government has accused the US of violating international law by seizing the aircraft, claiming that it does not belong to them. In a statement released last week, officials from the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the aircraft was in the process of carrying out a routine mission and that the US had no right to take possession of it.
The incident occurred on April 15, when a Chinese patrol plane made an emergency landing on the island of Hawaii after experiencing technical problems. The US Navy confirmed that the aircraft had been taken into custody, but did not provide any details about its origin or purpose.
China has called on the US to return the aircraft, citing the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961. This international agreement states that all governments must protect foreign diplomatic missions and personnel, and is considered fundamental to global relations.
The US has yet to respond to the Chinese government’s demands. President Joe Biden has not publicly commented on the situation, and the White House has said it will not be issuing a statement on the matter. US-China relations have become increasingly tense in recent months, with both countries taking steps to limit the influence of the other on the world stage.
It remains unclear how the US will respond to China’s demands, or what will happen to the aircraft in question. Whatever the outcome, it is unlikely that the issue will be resolved quickly, as both sides are likely to remain entrenched in their positions.