China expressed deep “displeasure and protest” at the US “overreacting” to the use of force to shoot down a “spy balloon” flying over US airspace. In a statement released by the Asian giant’s foreign ministry, China once again defended that the aircraft in question was “civilian” and stressed that “its entry into the United States due to force majeure was completely accidental.”

“The Chinese side is clearly asking the United States to properly handle the situation in a calm, professional and moderate manner,” the publication added. In addition, he assured that “they will strongly protect” the rights of companies associated with the aircraft, and “reserve the right to give the necessary answers.”

China’s response comes after the United States, on direct orders from US President Joe Biden, shot down a Chinese balloon this Saturday that had been flying over the country for several days. According to the US Department of Defense, the remains of the airship fell into the sea and are being recovered to learn the details of the mission through which Beijing “sought to control important military installations.”

“civil airship”

The aircraft’s route over “many potentially vulnerable objects” “contradicts”, according to the United States, the explanations of the Chinese government, which, although admitting this Friday that the balloon belonged to it, assured that “it is a civilian airship used for research purposes, mainly meteorological.

The discovery of this “spy balloon” in US airspace has sparked a diplomatic crisis between Washington and Beijing and has resulted in the suspension of a trip that Secretary of State Anthony Blinken planned to make to the Asian nation this weekend. In turn, the United States announced this Friday that it had discovered a second Chinese “spy balloon” flying over Latin America, but which the Asian giant has not yet commanded.