The spy balloon saga of 2023 inflated US-China political tensions

One of the year’s most unexpected controversies involved a US fighter jet shooting down a huge Chinese balloon that drifted across the US and Canada in January and February. The incident prompted the postponement of a high-profile US diplomatic visit to China and put the North American Aerospace Defense Command on high alert.

After the wreckage was recovered from the sea, the US government described the balloon as having carried surveillance equipment – something Chinese officials denied – but also acknowledged that it didn’t seem to have collected or sent any data.

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