Wreckage of a US-made U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft is on display at the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution in Beijing. The military on the island of Taiwan used U-2s to conduct reconnaissance missions on the Chinese mainland since January 1962, and the PLA Air Force shot down the first U-2 on September 9, 1962 in the suburbs of Nanchang, East China's Jiangxi Province. Photo: Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution

 

The Military Museum of The Chinese People's Revolution released a letter on its Sina Weibo account on Thursday and invited US pilots to visit the U-2 wreckage collected at its underground exhibition hall, which has lead to heated discussions among Chinese netizens.

The letter came after a US spy plane, the U-2 high altitude reconnaissance plane, intruded China's no-fly zone, which was established by the Northern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) during the live-fire drills on Tuesday.

"We will tell you that it was shot down by us more than half a century ago!" the Beijing-based museum wrote in the letter.

In the letter, the museum said that the PLA air force used to shoot down U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircrafts many times throughout history, and how the PLA air force fought against the high-altitude reconnaissance operations from the Kuomintang (KMT) side, which the US had supported.

"We were able to lay down the U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance plane 58 years ago, and we will surely be able to shoot down any fighters that invade China's territorial airspace," the museum wrote in the letter.

The letter draws attention and heated discussions among Chinese netizens. Many mentioned the Weibo account of the US Embassy in China and said "you are welcome to visit the U-2 wreckage."

"Welcome, it is ok if the US wants to provide some new exhibits," a netizen named Shuangfunanshou commented.

"It is time to change to a newer U-2 for the museum," netizen Meiyinamiusi said.

Some also reminded the US pilots to take necessary epidemic control measures before entering the museum.

"Remember to ask them to scan the health code and wear masks (when visiting)," said Huakaibanshenghuaweiyang.

The museum, opened in 1960, and is China's first comprehensive military museum. It is mainly dedicated to collecting, studying and displaying cultural relics, objects, documents and literature on the revolution and achievements during the building of the PLA, as well as those on the military history of China and the world, which is displayed in the introduction on its website.