China says it strongly opposes US move to shoot down balloon

The suspected Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the coast in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, U.S. February 4, 2023. REUTERS/Randall Hill

SHANGHAI — China’s foreign ministry said on Sunday that it expressed strong dissatisfaction and opposition towards the United States’ use of force to attack its airship.

A U.S. military fighter jet shot down the airship, which Washington has described as a suspected Chinese spy balloon, off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday, a week after it entered U.S. airspace and triggered a dramatic — and public — spying saga that worsened Sino-U.S. relations.

READ: US fighter jet shoots down suspected Chinese spy balloon with missile