WASHINGTON, Feb 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US navy personnel worked to recover on Sunday the debris of a suspected Chinese spy balloon shot down after it floated over North America for days.
China voiced anger on Sunday at the shooting down of the balloon, which it insists was an unmanned weather surveillance aircraft that had veered off course.
“The United States’ actions have seriously impacted and damaged both sides’ efforts and progress in stabilising Sino-US relations,” Chinese vice foreign minister Xie Feng said.
The balloon’s detection had already prompted the cancellation of a planned visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who had been due to arrive in Beijing on Sunday.
The aircraft spent several days flying over North America, before Washington on Saturday said an F-22 fighter jet had shot it down off the coast of South Carolina, because of what it called Beijing’s “unacceptable violation” of US sovereignty.
Pentagon officials on Friday had described the airship as a “high-altitude surveillance balloon,” adding that Washington had taken steps to block it from collecting sensitive information.
General Glen VanHerck, commander of US forces in North America, said in a statement Sunday that navy personnel were “currently conducting recovery operations, with the US Coast Guard assisting in securing the area and maintaining public safety.”
Beijing has said the balloon was primarily gathering weather data and that it had been blown off course.
Chuck Schumer, the US Senate Democratic leader, said the full Senate would receive a classified briefing on Feb 15.
The Pentagon said on Friday a second Chinese spy balloon had been seen across Latin America.
Colombia’s air force then reported over the weekend an object with “characteristics similar to those of a balloon” was detected and “monitored until it left the national air space.”
The air force said it was conducting investigations in coordination with other countries and institutions “to establish the origins of the object.” — NNN-AGENCIES
