China says it reserves right to respond to downing of surveillance balloon

The balloon's flight over the U.S. added tension to the U.S.-China relationship.

ByAlexandra Hutzler, Libby Cathey, Meredith Deliso, Stephanie Guerilus , and Bill Hutchinson
Last Updated: February 5, 2023, 7:05 PM EST

A massive Chinese surveillance balloon that moved across the continental U.S. this week has been shot down.

The Pentagon has confirmed the balloon was being used for surveillance, disputing China's claim that it was a civilian aircraft used for meteorological purposes. Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said the balloon didn't pose a physical or military threat, and once it was detected, the U.S. took steps to protect against foreign intelligence collection of sensitive information.

The FBI is expected to take custody of any recovered components of the balloon and ship them to its lab in Quantico, Virginia, for analysis and intelligence gathering, a senior government official told ABC News.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed a planned trip to China as the balloon's presence over the continental U.S. added new tension to the U.S.-China relationship. Blinken called the balloon a "clear violation" of U.S. sovereignty and international law.

Top headlines:

Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Feb 03, 2023, 9:06 PM EST

Second Chinese surveillance balloon flying over South America: US

The Pentagon is now confirming that there is a second Chinese surveillance balloon flying over South America. There were reports earlier Friday of a balloon flying over Colombia and Venezuela, but there was no information until now.

In this Sept. 1, 2021, file photo, the Pentagon seal is shown in the Pentagon Briefing Room in Arlington, Va.
Bloomberg via Getty Images, FILE

“We are seeing reports of a balloon transiting Latin America. We now assess it is another Chinese surveillance balloon,” Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement Friday.

-ABC News' Luis Martinez

Feb 03, 2023, 5:49 PM EST

Previous balloon incidents near Hawaii, Guam in 2022: US officials

U.S. officials confirmed that previous balloon incidents involving China occurred near Hawaii and Guam last year.

In February 2022, a balloon appeared to be stationary in international waters northwest of Kauai, Hawaii, the officials said.

The Hawaii incident came shortly after a similar incident that year near Guam, according to one of the officials.

Both incidents in the Pacific involved high-altitude balloons that came from China, the officials said.

-ABC News' Luis Martinez

Feb 03, 2023, 5:30 PM EST

'Gang of 8' to be briefed on surveillance balloon next week

The so-called "Gang of 8" will receive a briefing from the administration on the Chinese surveillance balloon next week, according to a spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

The "Gang of 8" includes congressional leadership and the top Democrat and Republican members of the House and Senate intelligence committees: Schumer, Sen. Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, Sen. Marco Rubio, Sen. Mark Warner, Rep. Jim Himes and Rep. Mike Turner.

The exact date and time of the briefing is not yet known.

-ABC News' Allison Pecorin

Feb 03, 2023, 4:44 PM EST

US may wait to shoot balloon down over the Atlantic: US official

As the balloon appears to be heading toward North Carolina, the current thinking is to wait until it is over the Atlantic Ocean to then try to shoot it down and retrieve it, according to a senior U.S. official familiar with the situation.

There is too great a risk to try to shoot it down over the continental U.S., the official said. Since the U.S. wants to keep the balloon to study it, and there are otherwise risks of an international incident, U.S. officials are working on plans to shoot it down so that it also lands in U.S. territorial waters, the official said.

A substantial localized airspace shutdown will likely be required in order to protect civilians while the U.S. tries to down the balloon, which is likely being navigated via Chinese spy satellites, the official said.

-ABC News' Josh Margolin

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