The Chinese surveillance balloon that was traveling over the U.S. airspace last week was finally taken down by members of the Air Force this Saturday.
It was shot down by a fighter jet from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia using an AIM-9X supersonic air missile. It took place about 6 nautical miles from the U.S. Atlantic coast.
The Pentagon waited until the balloon was flying over the ocean to prevent debris from hitting civilians, even if they faced criticism by their own constituents who wanted it to be taken down right away.
Crucially, over the next few days the Pentagon will employ recovery efforts to collect the aircraft and all those information that can help the U.S. military to understand why it was flying over the country. Originally, it had spanned over the Norther States, including Alaska, Northern Idaho, Montana, and the Northwest Territories of Canadian Airspace, before making its way to the Eastern side of the United States.
According to the Associated Press, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately accused the United States of overreacting, calling it “a serious violation of international practice”.
In a statement released on Sunday, they declared that “China will resolutely uphold the relevant company’s legitimate rights and interests, and at the same time reserving the right to take further actions in response”, given that it was an unarmed civilian aircraft that appeared over North America by accident.
Additionally, the incident prompted Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to abruptly cancel a trip to Beijing to meet with members of its government. This trip had the intention of improving relations between the two states.
Currently, this apparent incident has become a political issue, with wide criticism from the Republican side, with Rep. Mike Rogers arguing that “the Biden administration has hoped to hide this national security failure from Congress and the American people”.
The issue of U.S. and China relations is likely to become a future item of contention in the time leading to the 2024 Presidential Election.
More updates will be posted following coverage of the event.
Share This Post On
0 comments
Leave a comment
You need to login to leave a comment. Log-in
