First modification:
The United States shot down on Saturday, February 4, the Chinese balloon that had been flying over its territory since Friday, as confirmed by President Joe Biden. Beijing responded that this is an “excessive” measure and that it “reserves the right to respond.”
Following the shootdown, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin claimed the device, “which was being used by the People’s Republic of China in an attempt to surveil strategic sites in the continental United States” was shot down with two fighter jets. over the waters, off the coast of South Carolina.
The footage showed a small explosion, followed by the balloon’s descent into the water. US military planes were seen flying nearby and ships deployed in the water to mount the debris recovery operation.
Authorities intended to time the operation so they could recover as much of the wreckage as possible before it sank into the ocean. The Pentagon had previously estimated that the debris field would be considerable.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The US has downed the Chinese balloon off the Carolina coast and an operation is underway to recover the debris.
— Philip Lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) February 4, 2023
Air traffic had previously been suspended at three airports in the southeastern United States as a “national security” measure, according to the US civil aviation regulator (FAA).
“The FAA has suspended departures and arrivals at the Wilmington, North Carolina Airport, Myrtle Beach International Airport, and Charleston, South Carolina International Airport as part of a national security measure taken by the Department of Defense. of the United States,” he said in a statement.
Shortly after the operation, the US president spoke, telling the press that the balloon was shot down “successfully” under his order.
A statement from the Department of Defense confirmed it: “On Wednesday, President Biden 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 the path of the balloon.” “.
In addition, it added: “This Saturday’s deliberate and legal 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 unacceptable violation of our sovereignty by the People’s Republic of China”.
“We’ll take care of it”
On Saturday, the Chinese balloon, which the Pentagon insists is a ‘spy’ balloon, was spotted over South Carolina.
“We’ll take care of it,” Joe Biden said earlier in the day, without elaborating.
The affair, which has cast a shadow over relations between Washington and Beijing, prompted the postponement of a visit to China by US diplomatic chief Antony Blinken.
After initial doubts, Beijing admitted ownership of the “airship” but said it was a weather balloon that had gone off course, adding that it regretted the situation.
“The airship is from China. It is a civil aircraft used for research purposes, mainly meteorological,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday.
“The Chinese side regrets the involuntary entry of the aircraft into US airspace due to force majeure,” he said, using the legal term for an act beyond human control.
The balloon had flown over areas of the northwestern United States that are home to sensitive air bases and strategic nuclear missiles in underground silos, raising concerns.
Another suspected Chinese spy balloon was spotted over Latin America, the Pentagon said on Friday, without elaborating on its location.
On Saturday, the Colombian Air Force confirmed that it had escorted a device “similar to a balloon” out of its airspace.
*With AFP, AP and EFE; partially adapted from its original in French
