China to take action against US for shooting down its balloon

BEIJING (AP) — China announced Wednesday that it will take action against U.S. entities linked to the alleged Chinese spy balloon shot down off the United States’ Atlantic coast.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin, in his daily press conference, did not go into detail or identify the targets of the measures.

China claims the balloon was an unmanned weather plane blown away by the wind and accuses the United States of overreacting by shooting it down with a missile fired from an F-22 fighter jet.

After shooting the ball down on Feb. 4, Washington sanctioned six Chinese agencies believed to be linked to Beijing’s aerospace programs.

The House of Representatives in Washington voted unanimously to condemn the “gross violation” of US sovereignty and China’s efforts “to deceive the international community over its intelligence-gathering campaigns”. Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled a visit to Beijing that many hoped would stabilize relations soured by disputes over trade, human rights, Taiwan and China’s claims to the China Sea southern.

While denying that the balloon was a military device, China did not reveal which government department or company was responsible for it.

After initially lamenting the balloon’s entry into US airspace, China accused Washington of espionage and threatened retaliation.

“China firmly opposes it and will take countermeasures in accordance with law against relevant US entities that undermine China’s sovereignty and security,” Wang said Wednesday.

China will “resolutely safeguard the nation’s sovereignty and legitimate rights and interests,” Wang said.