Diplomatic spat deepens as US examines Chinese balloon debris

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 US 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 US military has since carried out three more shootdowns as it combs the skies for objects that were not being captured by radar, reports Reuters.

The White House said on Tuesday it was still searching for debris from the most recent, unmanned objects, and had not seen any indication they were part of China's spy program. But they exposed Washington's heightened sense of alert as the standoff over the balloon delays efforts to reset bilateral relations.