CHINA PROTESTS US MILITARY STRIKE ON SUSPECTED SPY BALLOON

Sun 05 February 2023:

China’s foreign ministry expressed “strong dissatisfaction” at the US for shooting down of its balloons over the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday.

“China expresses its strong dissatisfaction and protest against the US’s use of force to attack civilian unmanned aircraft. The Chinese side has repeatedly informed the US side after verification that the airship is for civilian use and entered the US due to force majeure-it was completely an accident,” it said in a statement.

“China will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of relevant companies, while reserving the right to make further necessary reaction.”

A week after it violated US airspace and set off a spectacular spying incident that deteriorated relations between Beijing and Washington, the United States shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the coast of the US state of South Carolina.

An operation is underway to recover debris in the Atlantic Ocean.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the decision was made at the direction of US President Biden.

US defence officials said multiple fighter and refuelling aircraft were involved in Saturday’s mission, but just one – an F-22 fighter jet from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia – took the shot at 2:39pm (19:39 GMT) using a single AIM-9X supersonic, heat-seeking, air-to-air missile.

The balloon, which had been flying at about 18,300 metres (60,000 ft), was shot down about six nautical miles off the coast of South Carolina.

US President Joe Biden told reporters that he had issued an order on Wednesday to take down the balloon, but the Pentagon had recommended waiting until it could be done over open water to safeguard civilians from debris crashing to Earth.

“We successfully took it down, and I want to compliment our aviators who did it,” Biden said in Maryland.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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