A suspected Chinese spy balloon was taken down by the US military on Saturday, Feb. 4, off the coast of Carolina after flying over military locations. China said there had been an accident involving a civilian aircraft during the flyby, according to a report by AP.
President Joe Biden gave the order even though he preferred the balloon to be taken down earlier. According to US authorities, he was briefed that the operation would be most successful if it were carried out over the water.
US President Joe Biden speaks to reporters after arriving at Hagerstown Regional Airport in Hagerstown, Maryland, on February 4, 2023. - Biden on Saturday congratulated fighter pilots for taking down a Chinese balloon off the east coast after it spent several days flying over the US. "They successfully took it down. And I want to compliment our aviators who did it," Biden told reporters in Maryland.
China's Response
Military experts deemed that dropping it down over land from a height of 60,000 feet would put people on the ground in unnecessary danger.
China responded to the move by saying that it reserved the right to take action and accused the US of a "violation of international practice."
"China will resolutely uphold the relevant company's legitimate rights and interests, and at the same time reserving the right to take further actions in response," China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
The balloon's sighting this week raised further concerns about the US's relations with China. It also came at a time when Secretary of State Antony Blinken to postponed a crucial trip to Beijing.
Taking Down the Balloon
The enormous white object was seen Saturday morning as it moved toward the Atlantic coast over the Carolinas. Senior defense authorities reported that an F-22 fighter jet's missile punctured the balloon at 2:39 EST while it was about six nautical miles off the coast near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
The wreckage spread over almost seven miles and fell in water about 47 feet deep, which was shallower than officials had anticipated. According to the officials, the recovery activities would be finished in a few days.
According to US defense officials, the balloon first crossed the US air defense zone north of the Aleutian Islands on January 28. It then traveled primarily over land across Alaska before entering Canadian airspace in the Northwest Territories on Monday.
After Biden had his initial briefing on the matter, the White House claimed that the balloon had returned to US territory over northern Idaho on Tuesday.
The balloon was seen Wednesday over Montana, where Malmstrom Air Force Base is located, and has a number of nuclear missile silos on its grounds.
Two anonymous senior defense officials told the AP that the US military was able to gather information on the balloon as it passed over the country.
This gave them several days to examine it, figure out how it traveled, and discover what it could spy on.
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