US shoots down Chinese ‘spy balloon’ and Beijing protests

Washington,/Beijing (EFE).- The United States shot down the Chinese balloon that had been flying over the country for several days, whose remains fell into the sea and are being recovered to learn details of a mission with which Beijing sought to “monitor strategic sites.”

This was stated by the US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J. Austin, in a statement in which he confirmed that the balloon was shot down “successfully” by two combat planes, off the coast of South Carolina (east of the country).

In a telephone conversation with the media, a high-ranking Defense Department official said the balloon “was seeking to monitor sensitive military sites.”

Thus, on its route over the country it passed near “many potentially sensitive sites”, something that “contradicts” the Chinese government’s explanation that it was a meteorological device.

China seems to be lying

The United States assured that China has lied, saying that the “spy balloon” that has flown over the country in recent days, shot down today, was a meteorological device and described the fact as “an intolerable violation” of US sovereignty.

“The balloon never sent military or physical threats to the American people, but its intrusion into our airspace for several days was an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty,” a senior Defense Department official said in a conversation with the media.

The Pentagon announced this past Thursday that it was following the movements of a Chinese “spy balloon” that was flying over the state of Montana (northeast US), where one of the three existing nuclear missile silo fields on US territory is located. .

China admitted on Friday that the balloon belongs to it, although it assured that “it is a civil airship used for research purposes, mainly meteorological.”

Biden authorized shooting down the globe

After having stayed out of the matter until today, this morning Biden made his first reference to the subject: “We are taking care of it,” he said in statements to the media at an airfield in Syracuse (New York), while the US press was talking about movements military in the South Carolina area and the closure of three airports.

Minutes after officially confirming the military action against the balloon, Biden briefly explained to the press that it was he himself who gave the order to shoot down the balloon as soon as it reached the sea and did not pose a danger to the population.

According to the Defense statement, Biden on Wednesday gave his authorization to shoot down the surveillance balloon “as soon as the mission could be accomplished without undue risk to the lives of Americans in its path.”

The remains of the globe

The high-ranking official of the Department of Defense explained that the decision to wait a few days to shoot it down at sea, in addition to being necessary to protect the citizens who inhabit the area, “was beneficial” to learn more about the device and its goals.

Multiple US Navy and Coast Guard vessels are in the area where the aircraft sank. The perimeter is secured and they are conducting search tasks to try to recover as much as possible.

Horry County (South Carolina) police warned citizens that fragments may wash up on the beach.

If found, citizens should alert authorities and never touch them as they are “part of a federal investigation.” “The rubble should not be touched, moved or lifted” they pointed out through social networks.

Support from Canada

The Department of Defense developed options to shoot down the balloon “safely” over the water and decided to finally carry out the action this Saturday, which “was taken in coordination with and with the full support of the Canadian Government.”

“This Saturday’s deliberate and lawful action demonstrates that President Biden and his national security team will always put the security of the American people first while responding effectively to the PRC’s unacceptable violation of our sovereignty.” ends the statement.

China protests US “overreaction”

China expressed deep “dissatisfaction and protest” that the US “overreacted” for using force to shoot down the “spy balloon” flying over US airspace.

In a statement published this Sunday morning by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Asian giant, China once again defended that the aircraft in question was of a “civilian nature” and stressed that “its entry into the US due to force majeure It was completely accidental.”

“The Chinese side clearly requests the US to properly handle the situation in a calm, professional and moderate manner,” the publication added.

In addition, he assured that “they will resolutely safeguard” the rights of the companies related to the aircraft and “will reserve the right to give the necessary answers.”