US braces for Beijing's response over spy balloon

RONNY REYES FROM DAILYMAIL

China threatens ‘resolute’ action as US warned to brace for ‘further provocations’ after spy balloon was shot down off the coast of South Carolina sparking race to salvage secret payload

• Beijing warned of ‘responses’ to come after the U.S. shot down a Chinese spy balloon on Saturday that hovered over nuclear silos in Montana
• Defense experts said China could try to interfere in the recovery of the surveillance payload off the coast of South Carolina 
• Beijing could try to use the incident as a way to justify ‘incursions into Taiwanese airspace’, a military expert said 

China is threatening to respond with ‘resolute action’ which American defense experts say could result in ‘further provocations’ after the U.S. finally shot down their spy balloon. 

Beijing’s Foreign Ministry last night slammed the move as a ‘clear overreaction and a serious violation of international practice.’ 

An F-22 Raptor fighter jet took down the balloon with a single AIM-9X sidewinder missile at 2.38pm on Saturday, off the coast of South Carolina. 

Beijing issued a chilling statement saying it ‘reserves the right to make further responses if necessary.’

‘The Chinese side has, after verification, repeatedly informed the U.S. side of the civilian nature of the airship and conveyed that its entry into the U.S. due to force majeure was totally unexpected,’ the Ministry said.

‘The Chinese side has clearly asked the U.S. side to properly handle the matter in a calm, professional and restrained manner,’ it added.

‘The spokesperson of the U.S. Department of Defense also noted that the balloon does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground.

‘Under such circumstances, the U.S. use of force is a clear overreaction and a serious violation of international practice.

‘China will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the company concerned, and reserves the right to make further responses if necessary.’ 

With the U.S. bracing for China‘s next move, Dr. James Anderson, a former Trump administration Defense official, told Fox News Beijing ‘will continue to claim that the United States ‘overreacted’ in shooting down the spy balloon.’ 

‘Beijing may also engage in further provocations against U.S. interests in the days ahead,’ Anderson warned, suggesting China could interfere with the recovery of the debris and its surveillance payload. 

‘It is possible, though one would certainly hope unlikely, that in the coming days one or more PLA-directed maritime vessels may seek to interfere with the recovery effort of the balloon debris located within U.S. territorial waters,’ he told Fox. 

‘If this were to happen, U.S. warships would be fully justified in providing any such intruders with one-way tickets to the bottom of the ocean.’

As the Navy and Coast Guard work to secure a perimeter around the downed craft, it also emerged overnight that three other Chinese spy balloons had entered U.S. airspace during the Trump administration but the public was never informed and the balloons were never shot down.