China has declared that it “retains the right to respond further” to the shooting down of its spy balloon, ABC News reports. 

After the spy balloon was allowed, by the administration of President Joe Biden, to travel all the way across America, the balloon was finally shot down over the weekend over the Atlantic ocean.

Now, the U.S. military is planning to recover whatever is left of the Chinese spy balloon in an attempt to gain valuable information about China.

In the meantime, China has responded to the downing of its balloon, and it appears that China is not so pleased with Biden’s handling of the situation.

“An excessive reaction”

The Chinese foreign ministry released a statement, shortly after the downing of the balloon, condemning the Biden administration’s handling of the situation.

“China strongly disapproves of and protests against the U.S. attack on a civilian unmanned airship by force,” the ministry said.

The ministry’s statement continues:

The Chinese side has, after verification, repeatedly informed the U.S. side of the civilian nature of the airship and conveyed that its entry into the U.S. due to force majeure was totally unexpected. The Chinese side has clearly asked the U.S. side to properly handle the matter in a calm, professional and restrained manner. The spokesperson of the U.S. Department of Defense also noted that the balloon does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground.

The ministry went on to call the U.S.’s downing of the balloon “a clear overreaction and a serious violation of international practice.”

“China will resolutely defend the legitimate rights and interests of the enterprise involved, and retains the right to respond further,” the ministry concludes.

There’s more

China has repeatedly claimed that the ballon was nothing more than a civilian weather device. But, the U.S. Pentagon insists that the ballon was actually a surveillance device.

China has insisted that it has “no intention to violate and has never violated the territory or airspace of any sovereign country.”

It turns out, however, that the Chinese spy balloon that was allowed to float over the United States was not the only one of its kind. Another balloon was spotted over Central America.

In addition, the Biden administration revealed that, in fact, these are far from the first Chinese spy balloons. Rather, such balloons have been seen all over the world.

As U.S. official told Fox News, “These balloons are all part of a [People’s Republic of China] fleet of balloons developed to conduct surveillance operations, which have also violated the sovereignty of other countries.”