In a response to the White House's statement on suspected 'spy' balloons being a part of a PRC fleet of balloons developed to conduct surveillance operations, the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday said that the US overreacted by using force.
The US State Department official said the balloon was part of a Chinese fleet developed to carry out "surveillance operations" with a manufacturer linked to China's People's Liberation Army (PLA).
Ned Price said that the US exploring taking action against Chinese entities linked to the People's Liberation Army that supported the balloon's incursion into US airspace.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that the balloon spotted over Latin America is an unmanned airship from China that is used for flight testing.
An F-22A fighter of the US Air Force's 1st Fighter Wing, taking off from Langley Air Force Base, splashed the high-flying balloon with an AIM-9X Sidewinder missile after it had crossed the coast of South Carolina. The balloon was flying at between 60,000 and 65,000 feet.
US Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell called the Biden administration's decision to shoot down a Chinese spy balloon on Saturday "too late" and stressed that it allowed China to make a "mockery" of US airspace.