The US military announced on Sunday that it was looking for remains of the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that it shot down the day before.
In order to prevent any harm to Americans on the ground, President Joe Biden delayed the orders for striking down until the balloon was over water off the coast of South Carolina on Wednesday. A statement from the US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin said, "The balloon, which was being used by the PRC in an attempt to surveil strategic sites in the continental United States, was brought down above U.S. territorial waters. On Wednesday, President Biden gave his authorization to take down the surveillance balloon as soon as the mission could be accomplished without undue risk to American lives under the balloon's path."
Here's what we know about the Chinese spy balloon:
-The Pentagon reported that a Chinese surveillance balloon was spotted over American soil on Wednesday. US Brigadier General Pat Ryder told the press, "The balloon is currently traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic, and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground".
- The balloon and its payload were first detected by US officials on January 28 when they entered US airspace near the Aleutian Islands. The balloon flew over Alaska, Canada, and back into US airspace over Idaho.
- China responded by saying, "We have no intention to violate and has never violated the territory or airspace of any sovereign country. Some politicians and media in the US have hyped it up to attack and smear China. The Chinese side is firmly opposed to that." China said it was a "civilian airship used for research, mainly meteorological, purposes".
- Amidst tensions, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday postponed his planned trip to Beijing. According to him the surveillance balloon in U.S. airspace "is a clear violation of US sovereignty and international law."
- To reduce risk, US military commanders developed plans to bring the balloon down over water, according to a statement from the Department of Defense. The Canadian government supported and coordinated the mission, according to the Defense Department.
- It was an F-22 Raptor that finally fired the missile that brought the balloon down on Saturday. "The balloon, which was being used by the PRC in an attempt to surveil strategic sites in the continental United States, was brought down above U.S. territorial waters," Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said in a written statement.
- According to CNN, the remnants of the balloon were to be taken to an FBI lab in Virginia, for analysis. Simultaneously, an operation is underway to recover debris from the balloon, which was estimated to be the size of three school buses.
- According to a statement released by the foreign ministry on Monday morning, foreign affairs vice-minister Xie Feng made "solemn representations" to the US embassy in Beijing on behalf of the Chinese government after the civilian airship was "attacked" by US forces.