AFP
The Chinese balloon over the state of Montana in the US last week
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 18:40
The US Coast Guard has established a temporary safety zone ten nautical miles off the coast of South Carolina. Ships are not allowed to sail there without permission and according to the authorities, that is “to protect the public from possible dangers related to physical objects”.
The remains of the Chinese balloon that was shot down on Saturday are probably floating in the area, which the Americans say was intended for spying. The Chinese deny that emphatically and say that it is an instrument for meteorological research, among other things.
The issue with the Chinese balloon leads to rising tensions between the two countries. US Secretary of State Blinken has already postponed his visit to China. Yesterday and today he would talk about Taiwan, among other things.
Search for debris
The US Air Force monitored the balloon’s course and waited for the colossus to cross the ocean. An American F-22 brought down the balloon with a missile. Since then, the Navy, Coast Guard and Air Force have been searching for the debris that may tell more about the purpose of the Chinese balloon.
The measure in South Carolina waters is in effect through February 18.
Watch the balloon downing and President Biden’s response here:
US military shoots down Chinese balloon
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