The U.S. military announced that it is seeking fragments of a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon it shot down.
A defense official stated that the recovery effort, which is anticipated to last several days, began shortly after the balloon's debris reached the water on Saturday. He added that a Navy ship had arrived at the area and that more Navy and Coast Guard ships had been dispatched after being placed on notice.
"The debris is in 47 feet of water, primarily. The recovery that will make it fairly easy, actually. We planned for much deeper water," the official said, adding that the wreckage "would have fallen at least in a seven-mile radius".
The shooting down of the balloon, which occurred at the conclusion of a remarkable week of high-stakes international drama played out in the open skies and behind closed doors, marked the beginning of a new phase in the relationship between the U.S. and China, which had been growing increasingly tumultuous.
U.S. authorities have downplayed the balloon's impact on national security, but a successful recovery might provide insight into China's espionage capabilities.
China denounced the response as an "obvious overreaction," but observers said that Beijing's retaliation would likely be carefully managed to prevent a deterioration of relations.
China urged the U.S. on Monday not to increase tensions or damage China's interests.
"China firmly opposes and strongly protests against this," China's vice foreign minister Xie Feng said in remarks to the US embassy in China on Monday. "The Chinese government is closely following the development of the situation."
U.S. officials stated that they were keeping a close eye on China for any acts beyond words, including possible attacks on American property. A senior Biden administration official stated that officials from the State Department and the National Security Council of the White House met with Chinese authorities about the balloon's crash shortly after it occurred. Additionally, the State Department informed officials from allies and partner nations.
Sunday, Republican senators criticized President Joe Biden for waiting days to fire down the balloon as it floated over the United States, accusing him of displaying weakness toward China and initially attempting to conceal the violation of U.S. airspace.
Former president Donald Trump and his former director of national intelligence, John Ratcliffe, denied defense secretary Lloyd Austin's assessment that comparable balloons had transited the U.S. during Trump's administration.
Trump stated on the social networking website Truth Social, "China had too much respect for 'TRUMP' for this to have ever happened, and it NEVER did."
However, Republican representative Michael Waltz backed Austin's claim, telling the Washington Post that the Pentagon has informed Congress on multiple occasions during Trump's presidency that Chinese balloons had been observed near the U.S.
Democrats said that Biden's decision to wait to shoot down the balloon until it had passed over the U.S. prevented debris from falling to Earth and harming civilians.
