Ashish Ranjan
US shoots down Chinese spy balloon: AP reports that the United States shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the coast of North Carolina on Saturday, after President Joe Biden vowed to “take care” of the device. After traversing sensitive military sites across North America, the balloon was shot down and became the latest flashpoint in tensions between Washington and Beijing.
In US territorial waters in the Atlantic Ocean, an operation was underway to recover debris from the balloon, which had been flying at approximately 60,000 feet and was estimated to be the size of three school buses.Local photographer Travis Huffstetler of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, told CNN that he witnessed the US military shoot down the suspected Chinese spy balloon on Saturday afternoon. A Twitter user named Devon Pace filmed the destruction of a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon off the coast of North and South Carolina.
President Joe Biden was quoted by Reuters as saying, “We successfully took it down, and I want to commend our aviators who did it.”
Chinese spy balloon shot down. #ChineseSpyBalloon pic.twitter.com/2LNUUf0Qpr
— Devon Pace (@elitedevon) February 4, 2023
The shootdown was initially announced by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who stated that the balloon was being used by China “to surveil strategic sites in the continental United States.”
“This afternoon, at the direction of President Biden, U.S. fighter aircraft assigned to USNORTHCOM successfully shot down the PRC’s high-altitude surveillance balloon over the water off the coast of South Carolina,” Austin said.
CNN reported that Navy and Coast Guard assets are on standby for any potential recovery efforts. This week, the balloon was first spotted in the sky over Montana and travelled across the country’s centre.
Off the coast of the Carolinas, where the US military shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon, recovery efforts are underway. An official told CNN that the precise method for deflating the balloon remains unclear.
Local media in the United States reported that three airports were closed and a suspected spy balloon was shot down off the country’s east coast. The Federal Aviation Administration has reopened the region’s airspace after extending a ground stop at three airports in North and South Carolina.
When asked about the balloon, President Joe Biden told reporters earlier Saturday that “we’ll take care of it.” As the balloon reached the ocean, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Coast Guard worked to clear the airspace and water beneath it. Both the White House and the Pentagon have stated that the Chinese balloon poses no physical or military threat to those on the ground.
The Coast Guard advised mariners to leave the area immediately due to “significantly hazardous” U.S. military operations.
This week’s public disclosure of the balloon led to the cancellation of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s Sunday trip to Beijing for talks aimed at reducing U.S.-China tensions. Saturday, the Chinese government attempted to downplay the cancellation.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement Saturday morning stating, “In actuality, the United States and China have never announced a visit. Any such announcement by the United States is their business, and we respect that.”
China has maintained that the balloon was merely a weather research “airship” that had strayed from its intended path. The Pentagon categorically rejected this claim, as well as China’s claim that the vessel was not being used for surveillance and had limited navigational capabilities.
The balloon was spotted over Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, which is home to one of America’s three nuclear missile silo fields.
In addition, the Pentagon confirmed reports of a second balloon flying over Latin America. The Pentagon’s press secretary, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, said in a statement, “We now believe it to be another Chinese surveillance balloon.”
Prior to shooting down the balloon, the FAA temporarily closed airspace over the Carolina coastline, including the airports in Charleston, Myrtle Beach, and Wilmington, South Carolina and North Carolina, respectively. As a result of the flight restrictions, the FAA rerouted air traffic and warned of potential delays.
A small explosion was captured on camera, followed by the balloon’s descent into the water. It was observed that US military jets were in the area, and ships were deployed in the water to begin the recovery operation.
Officials aimed to time the operation so that as much debris as possible could be recovered before it sank into the ocean. Prior to this, the Pentagon estimated that any debris field would be extensive.
.@SecDef: This afternoon, at the direction of President Biden, U.S. fighter aircraft assigned to USNORTHCOM successfully brought down the high-altitude surveillance balloon launched by and belonging to the PRC over the water off the South Carolina coast. https://t.co/2Gk3fi2aLg
— Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder (@PentagonPresSec) February 4, 2023
Top military officials had advised against shooting down the balloon while it was over the continental United States due to the danger the debris could pose to civilians and property on the ground, but officials maintained that all options remained open.
China asserted that the balloon entered US airspace by accident, but the US State Department stated that the balloon’s presence over US territory was “a clear violation of our sovereignty and international law, and it is unacceptable that this has occurred.”
China has denied any allegations of espionage and stated that the balloon is for meteorological research. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasised that it had no control over the balloon’s journey and urged the United States not to “tarnish” China based on the incident.
Also Read:- After US, 2nd Chinese Spy Balloon Spotted In Latin America: Pentagon
The postponement of Blinken’s trip, which had been agreed upon in November by Vice President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, is a blow to those who viewed it as a long-overdue opportunity to stabilise the relationship between the two nations.
China desires a stable relationship with the United States so it can focus on its economy, which has been battered by the now-abandoned zero-Covid policy and neglected by foreign investors fearful of a return of state intervention in the market.
