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

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin confirmed the Chinese surveillance balloon was taken down by a fighter aircraft as it drifted off the Carolina coast.

"This afternoon, at the direction of President Biden, U.S. fighter aircraft assigned to U.S. Northern Command successfully brought down the high altitude surveillance balloon launched by and belonging to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) over the water off the coast of South Carolina in U.S. airspace," Austin said in a statement. "The balloon, which was being used by the PRC in an attempt to surveil strategic sites in the continental United States, was brought down above U.S. territorial waters."

Austin said military commanders determined downing the balloon while it flew over land "posed an undue risk to people across a wide area due to the size and altitude of the balloon and its surveillance payload."

"Today’s deliberate and lawful action demonstrates that President Biden and his national security team will always put the safety and security of the American people first while responding effectively to the PRC’s unacceptable violation of our sovereignty," Austin said.

President Joe Biden briefly spoke to reporters after the balloon was "successfully" shot down by the U.S. military.

"I ordered the Pentagon to shoot it down on Wednesday as soon as possible. They decided -- without doing damage to anyone on the ground – they decided that the best time to do that was when it got over water outside within a 12 mile limit."

"They successfully took it down and I want to compliment our aviators who did it, and we’ll have more to report on this a little later," he said.

"I told them to shoot it down," Biden repeated when asked if the recommendation came from his national security team. "They said to me, 'Let's wait for the safest place to do it.'"

The Chinese surveillance balloon has been shot down in U.S. airspace, according to a senior U.S. official.

It is expected to land in U.S.territorial waters, the official said, adding that airspace will be reopened once it's in the water.

-ABC News' Josh Margolin

The Federal Aviation Administration has closed additional airspace to support the Department of Defense in a national security effort. The agency also paused departures from and arrivals to Wilmington, Myrtle Beach International and Charleston International airports.

The Temporary Flight Restriction is now in effect until 3:30 p.m.

-ABC News' Amanda Maile