A senior official has revealed that the Chinese surveillance balloon that was shot down with a missile off the coast of South Carolina was originally on a trajectory that would have taken it over Guam and Hawaii but was blown off course.
The balloon, which the United States accuses China of employing for espionage and China says was a civilian weather research airship, was prevented from reaching the islands by prevailing winds, a US official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
The balloon floated across Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, Canada, and the central United States before being shot down by an F-22 fighter jet’s weapon on February 4.
The United States military announced on Monday that it has retrieved vital equipment from the balloon as well as substantial portions of the vessel itself.
The incident has further soured relations between the United States and China, prompting Secretary of State Antony Blinken to abandon his trip to Beijing last week.
The Washington Post claimed on Tuesday that American military and intelligence services tracked the balloon from the moment it took off from Hainan Island in China’s southern coast.
During a Thursday press briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin did not respond to a question about whether the balloon was intended to fly over Guam and Hawaii before it was blown off course by prevailing winds. Instead, he reiterated China’s position that Washington should not “overreact.”
During the briefing the day before, Wang purportedly threatened action against American entities for undermining China’s sovereignty.
Wang stated, “The United States has abused force, overreacted, escalated the situation, and used this as an excuse to illegally sanction Chinese companies and institutions.”
“China is vehemently opposed to this and will take legal action against US entities that undermine China’s sovereignty and security.”
AP reported on February 4 that a missile launched from an F-22 fighter plane destroyed the balloon.
He stated that China will “vigorously defend national sovereignty and its legitimate rights and interests.”
China placed trade and investment sanctions on Lockheed Martin and Raytheon on Thursday for selling arms to Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory.
It was unclear whether sanctions on U.S. military contractors were a result of the balloon incident.
China disputes that the balloon was a military asset, but it has yet to disclose which government agency or corporation was responsible for its operation.
China has intensified its rhetoric against the United States, stating earlier this week that the United States has flown more than ten high-altitude balloons in its territory in the past year.
John Kirby, the national security spokesman for the White House, slammed China’s accusation as “absolutely false
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