Introduction 

This article is about the shooting over in Alaska that just happened recently. In Alaska, a strange object was reported floating in the air. From observation it looked like some type of balloon, but it was suspected to be a Chinese surveillance balloon that crossed the country. Do you think that is what was floating so openly in the sky? I don’t know, but here is what we do know: 

Information 

 A high-altitude airborne object was seen floating in the sky just 10 miles off the coast of Alaska. It does not seem to be self-maneuvering, and it is about the size of a small car though not exactly similar in shape or size. It is said to have traveled inside US territorial waters, travelling northeast across Alaska, flying 40,000 feet (about 12.19 km). Officials do not know the origin of the balloon nor its owner and because of this it is seen as a “reasonable threat to civilian air traffic” and was shot down an hour after the discovery.  

Biden’s Response 

 President Joe Biden’s response was that “the U.S. did the right thing shooting down the suspected Chinese balloon.” When asked if this incident will affect the relationship between the US and China, President Biden responded, “no.” “We made it clear to China what we are going to do, they understand our position, we are not going to back off.” “We did the right thing, and the is no question of strengthening or weakening.” “It’s just reality.” When President Biden is asked why the Chinese government would commit such a brazen act, Biden laughs and says, “Because they’re the Chinese government.” 

China’s Response 

China upon hearing about this incident, acknowledges the balloon belonging to them, but they claim that it was just a civilian research vessel and is not being used for surveillance. When asked if the US could still trust China, Biden says “it is not a question of trusting China, the question of the balloon and attempting to spy on the US is something we expected of China.” “They didn’t deny the balloon was theirs they just denied what it was.” 

Conclusion 

Whether China is being truthful or not about the balloon being used for surveillance on the US, obviously this is troubling. And with the way President Biden response to this incident, this can or could create probable future conflict between the two countries.