Beijing Feb 5 over the destruction of a civilian balloon, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on the agency's website. The ministry said.
According to the Foreign Ministry, the Chinese side, after checking, repeatedly notified Washington that the balloon «is intended for civilian use and entered the United States due to force majeure, which happened quite by accident.»
Beijing recalled calls for the United States to calmly, professionally and restrainedly take steps to properly resolve the issue. The American side's response with the use of force «is excessive and seriously violates international practice,» the Foreign Ministry stressed.
Chinese diplomats vowed to vigorously protect the legitimate rights and interests of the company that owned the probe, reserving the right to take further necessary actions.
Earlier, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin confirmed that the military, on behalf of President Joe Biden, on Saturday shot down a Chinese-owned balloon that fell into American airspace. According to him, the apparatus was used to monitor strategic objects.
The United States noticed the balloon at the end of last month, reported it to Biden, but on the advice of the Pentagon chief, they did not shoot down the balloon over the country's territory. The balloon flew from the Aleutian Islands through Canada and reached the state of Montana.
Because of the incident, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken postponed his visit to China. Beijing dismissed the unfounded speculation and hype, explaining that the situation was caused by force majeure, and the device was a weather balloon that deviated from the route.