China warns of retaliation against US entities for shooting down the “Chinese spy balloon”, accuses US of damaging ties, calls on Japan to not follow US stance

China today warned that it will take countermeasures against U.S. entities as it accused US of abusing the use of force in shooting down a suspected “Chinese spy balloon” off the South Carolina Coast on Feb 4.

China initially expressed regrets over the entry of its balloon into U.S. airspace but has now turned to accuse the US of illegally flying balloons in Chinese airspace more than ten times since May last year along with the threats of retaliation.

“China firmly opposes this and will take countermeasures in accordance with the law against the relevant U.S. entities that undermine China’s sovereignty and security,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Wednesday at the daily briefing without giving more details. 

“What the US did has had a grave impact on the efforts and progress made by China and the US in stabilizing bilateral relations since the leaders’ meeting in Bali,” Wang said in an apparent warning of a fresh escalation of tension in the balloon controversy. 

He repeated that the balloon was an unmanned weather airship that was accidentally blown off course and accused the U.S. of overreacting in shooting it down with a missile fired from an F-22 fighter jet. China denies that the balloon was a military aircraft but has not yet provided any details about the government department or company responsible for it.

The United States has sanctioned six Chinese entities linked to China’s aerospace program. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also canceled a visit to Beijing after the discovery of the Chinese balloon in the US airspace.

Meanwhile, Japan’s Defence Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that the Japanese government strongly suspects that the three unidentified flying objects spotted in its airspace since 2019 are Chinese surveillance balloons. It said it has protested and requested explanations from Beijing. Responding to this on Wednesday, Wang said that the Japanese side, without any solid evidence, has made unfounded allegations to smear and attack China. “We are firmly opposed to this,” he said adding that Japan should adopt an objective and just position and stop following the US’s suit in dramatizing it.

According to media reports, U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel on Wednesday said the Chinese balloon's intrusion was part of a pattern of aggressive behavior by Beijing. Emanuel noted China’s recent beaming of military-grade laser on a Philippine coast guard patrol vessel, the harassment of

U.S. planes by Chinese jets and China's opening of illegal police stations in the U.S., Ireland and other countries. “The balloon to me is not an isolated incident,” Emanuel said. 

If China wants to be a respected member of the international community, “then you act appropriately to certain basic premises. that is you don’t open police stations in other countries ignorant of their laws as if your laws don’t have any boundaries,” he said.

“This is not exactly the qualities and characteristics of the good neighbor policy,” the ambassador said, referring to China's outreach to countries in the Asia-Pacific region.