China has threatened “further action” in response to the “serious overreaction” by the United States in the downing of an alleged spy balloon.
The white plane was taken from the sky off South Carolina on Saturday after days of intrigue, as diplomatic relations deteriorated further between Washington and Beijing.
The American President Joe Biden ordered the object shot down, with a defense official saying it was a spy balloon that China intended for use at sensitive military sites.
But Chinese officials have insisted it was a meteorological and scientific research device that had been diverted.
‘Obvious overreaction’
In a statement released on Sunday, Beijing’s Foreign Ministry said, “China will resolutely defend the legitimate rights and interests of the relevant company, while reserving the right to take further measures in response.”
Mr Biden’s order was a “clear overreaction” that “seriously violated international conventions”, he added.
The balloon was shot down by an F-22 fighter jet, about six nautical miles off the coast of South Carolina near Myrtle Beach, with ships deployed in the water to mount the recovery operation.
Learn more:
What are “spy balloons” and what is their role?
The Confusing Theories Behind China’s ‘Spy Balloon’
Biden’s praise for American pilots
THE WE the president said he had wanted the balloon down when it was first spotted over Billings, Montana, Wednesday – near a field of nuclear missile silos at Malmstrom Air Force Base.
He had flown over the Aleutian Islands, off the coast of Alaskaand through Canada before entering the United States.
But Mr Biden said he was advised to wait until he was above water because of the risk of falling debris.
“They managed to shoot it down and I want to commend our Airmen who did that,” he said Saturday.
Prior to the operation, flights were halted at three airports, including Myrtle Beach International Airport, due to a “national security effort”, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
Learn more:
Why ballooning is an extremely serious moment
Some people took to Myrtle Beach to watch the operation
What happens next?
US officials want to recover the wreckage of the downed balloon, which spans seven miles.
He had flown between 60,000 feet and 65,000 feet.
The US Coast Guard, Navy and FBI are all involved in the recovery effort, with divers and unmanned submarines expected to comb the seabed over the next few days.
Sky’s US correspondent Mark Stone said: “The aim will be to harvest a potential gold mine of information”, with investigators likely hoping to reconstruct the balloon’s payload and learn from it.
The feud between the two superpowers over the goal of the ball comes at a sensitive time for their relationship, which has been on difficult ground for years.
This prompted US Secretary of State Antony Blinken abruptly cancel a trip to Beijingwhich would probably have required huge diplomatic efforts on both sides to organize.
At a meeting on the sidelines of a G20 summit last yearpresident of china Xi Jinping recognized that competition between countries should not degenerate into conflict.
