The US-China relations have been a hot topic in the news lately, and this week the Biden Administration took action against a Chinese surveillance balloon that had been flying over the US. President Biden ordered the Pentagon to shoot down the balloon as soon as possible. On Saturday, the balloon was successfully shot down off the coast of South Carolina, and the Navy and Coast Guard are now working to recover debris from the downed balloon.
The balloon was first spotted on Thursday, and Republicans were quick to criticize the Biden Administration’s response, calling for the balloon to be shot down immediately and linking the issue to problems at the country’s southern border.
However, the President and his national security team decided that the best time to shoot the balloon down was when it flew over water, so as to minimize the risk to American lives. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed in a statement that the President had authorized the Pentagon to shoot down the balloon “as soon as the mission could be accomplished without undue risk to American lives under the balloon’s path.”
On Saturday, the balloon was successfully shot down and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) commended Biden’s decision to take the balloon down over water in order to “ensure safety for all Americans.” The Navy and Coast Guard are now working to recover debris from the downed balloon, which will allow the US to collect the equipment and analyze the technology used by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
This incident is yet another example of the Biden Administration taking swift and decisive action to protect the safety and security of the American people. President Biden and his national security team have made it clear that they will not tolerate any foreign threats to the US, and they will stand up to protect the country’s sovereignty.
Source: thehill.com