"Serious Violation of International Practise"

A temporary security zone was set up in the waters off Myrtle Beach so that the balloon could be securely retrieved. (U.S. Fleet Forces/U.S. Navy/Reuters)

"Our U.S. Navy component is currently conducting recovery operations, with the U.S. Coast Guard assisting in securing the area and maintaining public safety." 

Gen. Glen VanHerck, commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command 

 

"[Beijing charges that the shooting down of a suspected Chinese spy balloon] seriously impacted and damaged both sides' efforts and progress in stabilizing Sino-U.S relations."

"[The] U.S. attack on a Chinese civilian\unmanned airship by military forces [resulted in a formal complaint with the U.S. Embassy]."

"However, the United States turned a deaf ear and insisted on indiscriminate use of force against the civilian airship that was about to leave the United States airspace, obviously overreacted and seriously violated the spirit of international law and international practise."

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng

"We should have shot this balloon down over the Aleutian Islands. We should never have allowed it to transit the entire continental United States."

"I think part of it is the president's reluctance to take any action that would be viewed as provocative or confrontational towards the Chinese communists."

Republican Tom Cotton, member, Senate Armed Services Committee

 

"[China will] resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies, resolutely safeguard China's interests and dignity and reserve the right to make further necessary responses."

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng

 

"Affected by weather and due to its limited self-control ability, the airship severely deviated from its set route and entered the space of Latin America and the Caribbean by accident."

"This balloon is not American. The Chinese government will continue to defend its legitimate rights and interests." 

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning

 

"If you pick up something on the street, you should return it to the owner, if you know who the owner is."

"If the Americans don’t want to return it, that’s their decision. This demonstrates their dishonesty."

"Recently the Americans have done a lot of things against China [US moves including gaining expanded access to military bases in the Philippines]."

"Even if Mr. Blinken came to China, this would not play a positive role."

Lu Shaye, China’s ambassador to France

"

Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recover the suspected Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon on Sunday that was downed by the United States over the weekend over U.S. territorial waters off the coast of Myrtle Beach, S.C. (U.S. Fleet Forces/U.S. Navy/Reuters)

The U..S. Navy searched an area the size of a football field to recover all the debris that fell from the Chinese air balloon that caused quite a stir when it was spotted over very sensitive military positions where it just happened, as a weather balloon, to waft about, a prey to wayward winds taking it off course. A weather balloon so far from China, what in the world was it capturing about the atmosphere that weather stations could not identify with accuracy?

 

The remains of the gigantic balloon were scooped out of the sea where it was shot down off the coast of South Carolina, and a scrupulous search of the area appears to have netted an estimated ton of scientific technical equipment. An examination by experts will undoubtedly reveal the character of the balloon and its mission. China is outraged; a 'civilian' weather balloon', the property of an unnamed Chinese company (all Chinese companies irrespective of their purpose are legally bound to defer to the CPC), summarily destroyed.

The equipment's examination will certainly put an end to speculation. Surveillance, spy equipment or not? But will it answer the question as to why Beijing or an entity representing their national interests undertake such a clumsy vehicle for espionage purposes when sophisticated satellites deliver the kind of intelligence-gathering that Beijing is invested in? The sensitive military sites the balloon traversed make it unlikely the incident represents a purely circumstantial, unplanned entry into U.S. airspace.

Strained relations between the United States and China have simply become even more problematical. The descending spiral has delved a little deeper into conspiratorial and hostile territory. Beijing accusing Washington of an unseemly attack on its interests and equipment. The United States completely within its international sovereign rights to destroy the probing presence of a foreign piece of spyware intruding where it should not be in an event that seems more absurd than threatening other than for the fact that critical intelligence was conveyed to China.

"An accidental incident caused by force majeure", sounds rather inane, given the circumstances. This was not the Philippines or Japan or South Korea, or even Australia, more in the baileywick of China's near-abroad, but a country a vast air distance away. What might a meteorological research balloon be seeking flying over Canada and the United States? For that matter, Colombia and other parts of Latin America? But notably over military installations in South Carolina at a 18,000 metre altitude.

 

China insists the balloon was a weather balloon, an explanation the U.S. dismisses. (U.S. Fleet Forces/U.S. Navy/Reuters)