US fighter jet shoots down China's suspected spy balloon: Report

Spy balloon, along with another observed transiting Central and South America, had surveillance equipment not usually associated with standard meteorological activities, senior US official said

The US shot down an alleged Chinese surveillance balloon off the South Carolina coast on Saturday, injecting new tension into relations with Beijing which called the move an overreaction. 

President Joe Biden said he ordered the Pentagon on Wednesday to down the balloon as soon as possible “without doing damage to anyone on the ground.” The military decided the best window was on Saturday while it was over the Atlantic within US territorial waters. 

China protested the downing and said it reserves the right for any necessary reaction, according to a foreign ministry statement on Sunday. It said the US violated international