Reacting to the news that US shot down spy balloon from China, China says it ‘reserves the right’ to deal with ‘similar situations’ following the United States’ decision to shoot down its high-altitude balloon.

China’s Defense Ministry spokesperson Tan Kefei said in a statement on Sunday afternoon local time: ‘The US used force to attack our civilian unmanned airship, which is an obvious overreaction. We express solemn protest against this move by the US side.

China ‘reserves the right to use necessary means to deal with similar situations,’ he added.

‘The Chinese side has repeatedly informed the US side after verification that the airship is for civilian use and entered the US due to force majeure – it was completely an accident,’ the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s statement said.

‘China clearly asked the US to handle it properly in a calm, professional and restrained manner.

‘A spokesman for the US Department of Defense also stated that the balloon will not pose a military or personal threat to ground personnel,’ the ministry’s statement continued.

‘China will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of relevant companies, while reserving the right to make further necessary reaction,’ the foreign ministry added.

According to CNN, Chinese state media on Saturday announced that the head of the country’s weather service was relieved of his duty, in a move seen by some analysts as an attempt to shore up Beijing’s position that the high-altitude balloon was of civilian nature mainly for meteorological purposes.

Meanwhile, US officials have pushed back on China’s repeated claims the downed balloon was simply for civilian use and had made its way into American airspace by ‘accident.’

‘This was a PRC (People’s Republic of China) surveillance balloon. This surveillance balloon purposely traversed the United States and Canada and we are confident it was seeking to monitor sensitive military sites,’ a senior US administration official said.

The official said a second balloon, spotted over Central and South America, was ‘another PRC surveillance balloon’ and bore similar technical characteristics to the one that flew over the US.

‘Both balloons also carry surveillance equipment not usually associated with standard meteorological activities or civilian research,’ the official said.

‘Collection pod equipment and solar panels located on the metal truss suspended below the balloon are a prominent feature of both balloons.’

The incident is the latest in a series of spying cases and has fueled a diplomatic crisis between Beijing and Washington.