US Downs Chinese Balloon, Drawing A Threat From China  

 

• The U.S. military on Saturday shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the Carolina coast after it traversed sensitive military sites across North America. China insisted the flyover was an accident involving a civilian aircraft and threatened repercussions.
• China responded that it reserved the right to “take further actions” and criticized the U.S. for “an obvious overreaction and a serious violation of international practice.” In its statement Sunday, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that, “China will resolutely uphold the relevant company’s legitimate rights and interests, and at the same time reserve the right to take further actions in response.”
• China has claimed that the balloon was merely a weather research “airship” that had been blown off course. The Pentagon rejected the explanation — as well as China’s contention that it was not being used for surveillance and had only limited navigational ability.
• The presence of the balloon in the skies above the U.S. this week dealt a severe blow to already strained U.S.-Chinese relations that have been in a downward spiral for years. It prompted Secretary of State Antony Blinken to abruptly cancel a high-stakes Beijing trip aimed at easing tensions.

(Source: AP News)