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Reuters
Reuters
Politics
By Yew Lun Tian and Steve Holland

Diplomatic spat deepens as U.S. examines Chinese balloon debris

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) speaks to the media following a classified briefing for U.S. Senators about the latest unknown objects shot down by the U.S. military, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., February 14, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

A diplomatic rift between China and the United States deepened on Tuesday with Beijing accusing Washington of flying high-altitude balloons into its airspace and that of other countries, as the U.S. military examined debris of a suspected Chinese spy balloon it downed this month.

The Chinese balloon, which Beijing denies was a spy vessel, spent a week flying over the United States and Canada before President Joe Biden ordered it shot on Feb. 4. The U.S. military has since carried out three more shootdowns as it combs the skies for objects that were not being captured by radar.

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