China expresses ‘strong dissatisfaction’ over US shooting down balloon

• Beijing condemned the Pentagon’s decision.
• China expresses strong dissatisfaction and protests against the use of force.
• The surveillance balloon was being brought down by a missile fired from an F-22 jet.

China: Beijing on Sunday condemned the Pentagon’s decision to fire down an alleged Chinese surveillance balloon observed floating over North America, accusing the United States of “clearly overreacting and seriously violating international practice”.

“China expresses strong dissatisfaction and protests against the use of force by the United States to attack the unmanned civilian airship,” Beijing’s foreign ministry said in a statement, adding that it would “reserve the right to make further necessary responses”.

The plane flew over North America for many days, heightening tensions between Washington and Beijing, before being brought down by a missile fired from an F-22 jet on Saturday, according to Pentagon officials.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin called the operation a “deliberate and lawful action” that came in response to China’s “unacceptable violation of our sovereignty”.

American officials first said on Thursday that they were tracking a large Chinese “surveillance balloon” in US skies.

After some hesitation, Beijing accepted ownership of the “airship,” but claimed it was a meteorological balloon that had been disoriented.

The Chinese foreign ministry on Sunday said it had “clearly demanded that the United States properly manage the problem in a calm, professional, and restrained manner”.

The US “insisted on deploying force, manifestly overreacting and significantly breaking international practice,” according to Beijing.

“China will resolutely safeguard the lawful rights and interests of relevant firms and retain the right to take any additional necessary actions,” the ministry stated in its statement.

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