[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] The White House sent a clear message on the 9th (local time) that it will not tolerate China's violation of sovereignty through the downing of a reconnaissance balloon, stating that China will be prevented from using such methods in the future. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said this during a briefing aboard Air Force One on President Joe Biden's visit to Florida.
Press Secretary Jean-Pierre said, "By shooting down the balloon, we sent a clear message to China that we will not tolerate violations of our sovereignty, while protecting sensitive information and maximizing our ability to track the balloon and recover its payload."
She added, "Following the downed reconnaissance balloon, when a second balloon was discovered over Latin America, China acknowledged it but provided no explanation as to why it was there."
She continued, "China's program has continued to be exposed, and we will make it more difficult for China to use it. That is the path we are taking."
Earlier, on the 4th, the U.S. government deployed multiple military assets, including F-22 stealth fighters, to shoot down a high-altitude reconnaissance balloon owned by China off the coast of South Carolina. The aircraft fell into the sea after being shot down.
China maintains that the reconnaissance device is solely for meteorological and scientific research purposes and has officially protested through diplomatic channels against the U.S. military's downing of the Chinese aircraft.
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