US, China: Search begins for wreckage of suspected Chinese spy balloons – BBC News

US Navy divers are working to recover the wreckage of a Chinese weather balloon that was shot down in the ocean off South Carolina. last weekend

A former high-ranking American military officer said, He expected the search to happen relatively quickly. so that the experts could begin to analyze his equipment.

Fighter jets shot down the balloon with a missile over US waters on February 4, scattering debris over a wide area.

The United States believes the balloons are monitoring vulnerable military areas of the country.

The discovery sparked a diplomatic crisis. by the Secretary of State of the United States, Anthony Blinken Order to cancel plans to visit China immediately.

The Chinese government has denied using the balloons for espionage. They confirmed it was a weather blimp that had wandered off course.

Admiral Mike Mullen, former chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff said on February 5 that he thinks the Chinese military may have launched balloons deliberately to block Blinken’s visit to China.

Blinken’s visit It will be the first high-level meeting between the United States and China for many years.

Admiral Mullen rejected China’s claim that the balloon can be unexpectedly blown by the wind. He said that balloons are agile because “Propelers are present” in such cases is not possible.

“This was not an accident. this is intentional He was spying,” he added.

meanwhile Republican politicians accuse US President Joe Biden of negligence and let the balloon fly across the country unimpeded.

Marco Rubio, the Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told CNN that it was China’s “shameless attempt” to humiliate the president ahead of his speech on February 7 on the state of the unions.

Brenda Bethune, Mayor of Myrtle Beach “I am concerned about the way the federal government allows foreign adversaries to fly unhindered from Montana to our doorstep,” said a teleporter near the site where the subject was shot down.

She said she hoped the government would explain how it happened. And how can they prevent it from happening again?

This high-flying balloon Probably the size of three buses, was shot down from the sky by an air-to-air missile called a Sidewinder, fired from an F-22 fighter jet, and landed approximately 6 nautical miles off the US coast at 14:00 AM 39:00 US time on February 4.

USA TV Network Broadcast as the missile hits It reveals a large white object falling into the sea after a small explosion.

Martin Willis said he was visiting Myrtle Beach at the time. As he was filming a fighter plane shot down a suspicious patrol balloon into the sea.

He told the BBC he could not believe what he saw. “It’s very exciting, it feels like this is a very historic moment,” he said.

The police warned local residents not to touch or move the debris they found because it would “interfere with the evidence.” could interfere with investigations,” the Ory County Police Department said.

The debris fell into water 14 meters deep, much shallower than officials had expected. and spread to a width of more than 11 kilometers

US defense officials Describe the decision to launch a balloon into the sea. stated in a statement that “We have taken all the necessary steps. To prevent the collection of sensitive data from China’s surveillance balloons. Flying over the territory of the United States are spy balloons spying for us.”

China’s foreign ministry expresses “tremendous dissatisfaction and protest against the use of force by the United States in attacking civilian unmanned aerial vehicles.”

in a written statement the Chinese government said it would “firmly protect” the rights and interests of companies that operate balloons. and reserves the right to “Take additional retaliation if necessary.”

Mr Biden approved plans to bring balloons out of space on February 1, but decided to wait until the object was above water. so as not to put people on the ground at risk

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily suspended all civilian flights at three airports around the South Carolina coast. and advised the crew to leave the area.

Relations between China and the United States tension from such an event The Pentagon calls this event an “Unacceptable Violation” of China’s sovereignty.

On February 3, a US military official said a second Chinese spy balloon had been spotted over Latin American skies. on the same day the Colombian Air Force said an object believed to be a balloon was detected on February 3 in the country’s airspace at an altitude of 55,000 feet (17,764 meters).

The Colombian Air Force reportedly tracked the object until it left its airspace. and added that he was not a threat to national security.

So far, China has not publicly commented on the second balloon.