US military shoots down Chinese spy balloon

The US accused the Chinese balloon that flew over its territory as a spy device, although China insisted it was only a civilian device for meteorological research. US officials said the Chinese balloon violated US sovereignty and international law.

After the balloon flew away from the mainland, the US military used fighter jets to shoot down the device over the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of South Carolina to avoid danger to people on the ground.

A Chinese hot air balloon was spotted in Montana, USA on February 1. Photo: AP.

President Joe Biden said the mission to shoot down a Chinese spy balloon off the East Coast was successful and he had previously ordered the Pentagon to shoot down the device immediately once safety factors were assured.

Before the Chinese balloon was shot down, the US Federal Aviation Administration had banned flights at three airports in North and South Carolina. This ban was lifted shortly after the balloon was shot down. Currently, the search and recovery of parts of the balloon is being carried out in North and South Carolina.

Political tensions over a Chinese spy balloon flying over US territory have not only caused the US Secretary of State’s planned visit to China to fall apart, but also threatened efforts to warm up diplomatic relations between the two countries, which have fallen to their lowest point in decades./.