New photos show the U.S. Navy recovering downed China spy balloon off U.S. coast

The U.S. Navy connected Tuesday released photos showing the betterment of the remnants of a Chinese spy balloon that was changeable down implicit the play connected the orders of President Joe Biden disconnected the seashore of South Carolina.

The photos were taken Sunday, a time aft an American combatant pitchy fired connected the 200-foot-tall balloon, sending it hurtling down into the Atlantic Ocean successful a melodramatic country caught unrecorded connected TV.

China has claimed that the balloon, which archetypal was spotted by the nationalist flying implicit Montana past Wednesday, was a wayward "civilian unmanned airship" that was chiefly conducting upwind research.

But Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has said the balloon was being utilized by China "in an effort to surveil strategical sites successful the continental United States."

Five Navy ships were progressive successful the effort to retrieve debris from the balloon implicit a 10-square-mile hunt country disconnected the seashore of Myrtle Beach.

The debris tract was the size of 1,500 quadrate meters, according to officials, who said the balloon's payload weighed much than a ton.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer connected Tuesday told reporters that the Biden medication "is looking astatine different actions that tin beryllium taken" successful effect to the balloon.

Schumer, a New York Democrat, said the existent authorities of relations betwixt the U.S. and China is "tense."

After the balloon was spotted, but earlier it was changeable down, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken canceled a planned travel to China.

During a proceeding connected Capitol Hill, Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., said helium "loves" Biden but disagreed with the days-long hold successful shooting down the balloon due to the fact that of the clip it gave the Chinese to cod further information and quality by the craft flying implicit the U.S.

In response, a witnesser astatine the hearing, erstwhile National Security Council and National Economic Council subordinate Peter Harrell, said that Blinken's determination to postpone his travel to China is the commencement of a response, not the end.

Rep. Ann Wagner, a Missouri Republican, said that she and her household watched arsenic the balloon flew implicit her location state.

"President Biden's determination to fto the [Chinese Communist Party] balloons question the magnitude and breadth of the United States of America was an unpardonable amusement of weakness connected the satellite stage," Wagner said.

"I americium calling connected the medication to reconstruct America's quality to deter his reckless provocations. The stakes of strategical contention with China are exceedingly high," she said. "And if the CCPs power continues to dispersed and unchallenged, American communities volition wage a price."

White House National Security Council John Kirby told reporters connected Monday that the balloon is suspected of being the 5th Chinese surveillance balloon detected implicit the continental U.S. since 2017.

Kirby said that 3 of those balloons flew implicit the U.S. during the Trump administration, portion determination was 1 different 1 during Biden's tenure successful the White House too this astir caller one.

Former President Donald Trump has said helium was ne'er informed that a Chinese balloon had passed implicit the U.S. erstwhile helium was successful office.

Kirby said that the 3 balloons during Trump's tenure were lone discovered aft helium near bureau successful January 2021.

- Additional reporting by CNBC's Amanda Macias