US Air Force Shoots Down Chinese Civilian Unmanned Airship Over Atlantic, Sparking Diplomatic Maelstrom

The mystery of the massive white orb that drifted across U.S. airspace this week and was shot down by the Air Force over the Atlantic on live television Saturday has been solved. China has identified the object as a “civilian unmanned airship” used mainly for meteorological research that went off course due to winds and had only limited “self-steering” capabilities.

Tan Kefei, a spokesperson for China’s Defense Ministry, said in a statement Sunday that China reserved “the right to use necessary means to deal with similar situations”, describing the U.S. action as “a clear overreaction”. China’s Foreign Ministry also said it was “a serious violation of international customary practice”.

The U.S. Air Force shot down the airship on Saturday, citing a “high-altitude surveillance” mission. The Defense Department said the airship posed a potential threat to national security.

The incident has sparked a diplomatic maelstrom and has been widely discussed on social media. China has expressed its disapproval of the U.S. action, saying it was an “obvious overreaction and a serious violation of international practice”.

The incident has raised questions about the safety of civilian airships, and the potential for similar incidents in the future. It remains to be seen how the U.S. and China will respond to the incident and how it will affect their relationship going forward.