US Shoots Down Suspected China Spy Balloon

US Shoots Down Suspected China Spy Balloon

A handout photo from Chase Doak taken on February 1, 2023 and released on February 2 shows a suspected Chinese spy balloon in the sky over Billings, Montana. Photo: AFP

The US military on Saturday shot down a Chinese balloon off the country’s east coast, American media reported, hours after President Joe Biden vowed to “take care” of the suspected spy device.

Fox News and CNN reported the operation after three southeastern airports were temporarily shut down earlier in the day amid what the Federal Aviation Administration called a “national security effort.”

The controversy erupted on Thursday when American officials said they were tracking a large Chinese “surveillance balloon” in US skies, but decided not to shoot it down over concerns of hurting people or property on the ground.

That led Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday to suspend a rare trip to Beijing.

After initial hesitation, Beijing admitted ownership of the “airship,” but said it was a weather balloon that had been blown off course, adding that it regretted the situation.

“The airship is from China. It is a civilian airship used for research, mainly meteorological, purposes

“The Chinese side regrets the unintended entry of the airship into US airspace due to force majeure,” China’s foreign ministry said in a statement Friday.

The balloon had flown over parts of the northwestern United States that are home to sensitive airbases and strategic nuclear missiles in underground silos, adding to concerns.

On Saturday, US media reported that the balloon was spotted over both North and South Carolina in the eastern part of the country.

AFP