On February 4, 2023, the U.S. military shot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin released a statement confirming the balloon was brought down at the instruction of President Joe Biden, estimated to be the size of three school buses, before it burst in a small explosion and fell into the water. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop in parts of North Carolina and South Carolina, and closed additional airspace to support the Department of Defense in a national security effort. Biden confirmed that he had directed officials to “shoot it down” on Wednesday, and the military successfully did so. It is believed the balloon was used by China to surveil strategic sites in the continental US.
China’s Foreign Ministry said the balloon was a civilian weather airship intended for scientific research that was blown off course, however, U.S. officials disagreed and said the object was clearly a surveillance balloon. In response to the incident, Secretary of State Antony Blinken indefinitely postponed his high-stakes trip to China in order to reinforce communication and cooperation between the two countries.
On February 4, 2023, the U.S. military shot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon at the instruction of President Joe Biden. The balloon was estimated to be the size of three school buses and burst in a small explosion before falling into the water. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop in parts of North Carolina and South Carolina and closed additional airspace to support the Department of Defense in a national security effort. China’s Foreign Ministry said the balloon was a civilian weather airship intended for scientific research that was blown off course, however, U.S. officials disagreed and said the object was clearly a surveillance balloon. As a result, Secretary of State Antony Blinken indefinitely postponed his high-stakes trip to China in order to reinforce communication and cooperation between the two countries.