China accuses US of overreaction on balloon

China accused the U.S. of indiscriminate use of force in shooting down a suspected Chinese spy balloon after it traversed sensitive military sites across North America. China insisted it was an accident involving a civilian aircraft.

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February 6, 2023 - 2:57 PM

A Chinese spy balloon shortly before it was shot down over Surfside Beach, South Carolina, on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. (Joe Granita/Zuma Press/TNS)

BEIJING (AP) — China on Monday accused the United States of indiscriminate use of force in shooting down a suspected Chinese spy balloon, saying it “seriously impacted and damaged both sides’ efforts and progress in stabilizing Sino-U.S. relations.”

The U.S. shot down the balloon off the Carolina coast after it traversed sensitive military sites across North America. China insisted the flyover was an accident involving a civilian aircraft.

Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng said he lodged a formal complaint with the U.S. Embassy on Sunday over the “U.S. attack on a Chinese civilian unmanned airship by military force.”

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