‘Spy balloon’ spoiled already tense US-China relationship

On Saturday, the United States fired a Chinese “spy balloon” from the sky. The relationship between the two countries – which was not the best anyway – has therefore suffered an additional dent.

The Chinese ‘spy balloon’ had been flying over US territory for days, before being shot out of the air over the Atlantic this Saturday afternoon (local time). US President Joe Biden had previously given the green light to bring down the balloon, but this was refrained from because the debris of the balloon the size of three buses would be dangerous. The remains are taken out of the sea for research.

According to Washington, the balloon contained all kinds of surveillance equipment. China claims it was an airship investigating the weather. According to China, the balloon would have gone off course due to strong winds and thus ended up over US territory. The Chinese Foreign Ministry called the downing of the balloon “a blatant overreaction” and says the country has a right to respond appropriately.