Monitoring Desk
WASHINGTON: The US on Saturday downed a suspected Chinese balloon off the Carolina coast following it became the latest flashpoint in tensions between Beijing and Washington, US media reported.
According to Associated Press, an operation was underway in US territorial waters in the Atlantic Ocean in order to recover wreckages from the suspected balloon that had been flying at about 60,000 feet.
Chinese Balloon: US-China ties
US President Joe Biden told media men earlier on Saturday that “we’ are going to take care of the balloon,” when asked about it. Reports suggest that the Coast Guard and federal aviation administration worked in order to clear the airspace and water as balloon reached the sea.
Television showed a small explosion, followed by the balloon down toward the sea water. US jets were seen flying in the area and ships were deployed in the sea to support the recovery operation.
Authorities were aiming to time the operation so they could recover the debris before it sinks into the sea. The suspected balloon was spotted on Saturday over the Carolinas. The federal aviation administration temporarily closed airspace including the airports during the operation. The federal aviation administration rerouted air traffic from the area and issued warning of delays as a result of the flight restrictions.
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The Coast Guard also advised mariners to leave the area due to US military operations. The US had been inclined to down the suspected balloon over land, but defense officials advised against it. The public revelation of the balloon this week led the cancelation of a trip by the US Secretary of State to Beijing.
Beijing has continued to claim that the balloon was just a weather research “airship”. The Pentagon also admitted reports of a second suspected balloon flying over Latin America. However, China’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond over the second balloon.
