Pentagon Downs Chinese Balloon, Blinken Cancels China Trip as Beijing Accuses U.S. of Overreacting

The Pentagon shot down a Chinese balloon off the coast of South Carolina Saturday, several days after it was first spotted over Montana a state that’s home to a major military base and silos holding scores of intercontinental ballistic missiles. The high-altitude balloon’s appearance over the United States prompted Secretary of State Antony Blinken to cancel a planned trip to Beijing, accusing China of “unacceptable and irresponsible” spying.