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

The Chinese Foreign Ministry posted a new statement in a form of a Q&A on their website early Saturday and slammed those taking advantage of the massive surveillance balloon.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed his upcoming trip to China, but the ministry claimed the visit had never been announced.

"As a matter of fact, neither China nor the US has announced any visits. It is the US's own business to release relevant information, and we respect that," the statement read.

They also reiterated their denial that the surveillance balloon was being used to spy on the U.S., insisting that China has always abided by international law and that the balloon deviated from its scheduled route.

"This was completely an accident caused by force majeure, and the facts are very clear," the statement continued.

The United States, elected officials and the media were also accused by the ministry of taking advantage of the incident.

"Some politicians and media in the United States took advantage of the issue to attack and discredit China. China firmly opposes it," the statement read.

-ABC News' Karson Yiu and Britt Clennett