On Saturday, the United States military shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the Carolina coast after it’d already drifted across several states, including sensitive military sites.
China claims that the balloon was merely an accident involving a civilian aircraft that was tracking weather patterns. However, it would take an extremely gullible person to believe that lie. Especially considering there were multiple other spy balloons caught floating across other countries as well.
Now, China is insisting that the United States showed “an obvious overreaction and a serious violation of international practice” by shooting down the balloon, and is threatening repercussions, such as shooting down a U.S. aircraft in retaliation.
On Sunday, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated 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.”
Pretty brave for China to float something above our country, in our airspace, and then claim that we overreacted and act as if they have some sort of right to “take further actions.”
Breitbart reports:
The Chinese government claimed the balloon was a “meteorological” research vessel for “civilian” purposes that had accidentally left Chinese airspace. The Pentagon initially refused to shoot it down, citing the potential that debris would fall on the grounds and injure Americans, and readied the public for the balloon to “be over the United States for a few days” as of Friday. By Sunday, however, in response to widespread public outrage in America, the Department of Defense confirmed that it had used fighter aircraft to shoot it down.
“The U.S. attack on Chinese civilian unmanned airship by force is an obvious overreaction,” said Chinese Defense Ministry Spokesman Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, on Sunday.
Tan also reportedly referred to the U.S. actions as a “political show.”
The Chinese state propaganda outlet Global Times, which reported Tan’s remarks, noted that he also warned that “China will reserve the right to take necessary measures in dealing with similar situations” and interpreted that to mean that Beijing would consider shooting down American civilian aircraft. The state newspaper also specifically objected to the Pentagon using an F-22 fighter jet to take down the invading balloon, comparing the use of advanced American military technology for the job to “shooting a mosquito with a cannon.”
“Compared with an unmanned, unpowered balloon that flies with the wind, the US interception method that featured an advanced stealth fighter jet and fired a missile is too costly,” the Global Times claimed, citing anonymous Chinese “experts.”
Another regime-approved “expert” told the Global Times that using the F-22 sent the message that Washington was not distinguishing between “civilian and military aircraft,” creating “a very bad precedent.”
On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mai Ning addressed the balloon incident, and indirectly accused the United States of attempting to destroy its relationship with Beijing.
Ning referred to the crisis as “unexpected and isolated,” and then warned that it “tests … whether the U.S. is sincere about stabilizing and improving its relations with China.”
