Ordered to shoot it down ASAP: Joe Biden on Chinese ‘spy’ balloon

President Joe Biden mentioned he ordered the Pentagon to shoot down the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon as quickly as doable when he was briefed on the matter.

New Delhi,UPDATED: Feb 5, 2023 08:54 IST

US President Joe Biden speaks with members of the press. (AP photograph)

By India Today Web Desk: As US fighter jets shot down a Chinese ‘spy’ balloon off the Carolina coast on Saturday, President Joe Biden mentioned he ordered the Pentagon to shoot down the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon as quickly as doable when he was briefed on the matter.

Biden spoke to the media in Maryland after the profitable operation by the US Air Force and mentioned, ““On Wednesday, when I was briefed on the balloon, I ordered the Pentagon to shoot it down as soon as possible. They decided to do it without doing damage to anyone on the ground. They decided that the best time to do that was when it got over open water.”

Furthermore, lauding the aviators who carried out the operation, Biden said, “They successfully took it down. And I want to compliment our aviators who did it. And we’ll have more to report on this a little later.”

ALSO READ | How US shot down Chinese ‘spy’ balloon and what’s subsequent

In response to a query on whether or not his nationwide safety crew had beneficial taking down the balloon, Biden acknowledged, “I told them to shoot it down. They said to me, Let’s wait for the safest place.”

Meanwhile, China blasted the Pentagon’s choice, accusing the United States of “clearly overreacting and seriously violating international practice”, threatening repercussions.

“China expresses strong dissatisfaction and protests against the use of force by the United States to attack the unmanned civilian airship,” Beijing’s international ministry mentioned in a press release, including that it might “reserve the right to make further necessary responses.”

The balloon triggered a diplomatic maelstrom, with US state secretary Antony Blinken cancelling his journey to Beijing.

China had insisted that the balloon was simply an errant civilian airship used primarily for meteorological analysis and deviated from its course as a result of winds and “limited steering” functionality. The Chinese international ministry mentioned in a press release that Beijing “regrets the unintended entry of the airship into US airspace.”

READ | Blinken cancels China journey as spy balloon floats over US, Beijing calls it ‘civilian airship’

Published On:

Feb 5, 2023