The Chinese authorities protested against the actions of the United States, which shot down a Chinese white balloon in its airspace. According to a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Beijing also reserves the right to respond. The statement said the US violated international practice after accidentally invading a balloon that was intended for civilian use.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry also says it has not received advance notice of the plan to shoot down the balloon. US officials told Beijing they reserved the right to take such action, but did not provide more details.
Beijing calls the balloon a meteorological balloon, US officials have said it is a reconnaissance balloon, which is equipped with equipment that does not match weather balloons.
The US administration also noted that the route of the balloon flying over American territory near many potential vulnerabilities contradicts the Chinese government's explanation that it is just a weather balloon. In particular, the balloon flew over Montana, where the intercontinental ballistic missile silos are located.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that China had used the balloon "in an attempt to monitor strategic installations in the continental United States" and the US plan to destroy it included "carefully tracking its path and intelligence-gathering activities." The news that the balloon had entered US airspace prompted Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to postpone a visit to China to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
