Biden says US-China relations not weakened by balloon incident
U.S. President Joe Biden shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping as they meet on the sidelines of the G20 leaders' summit in Bali, Indonesia, November 14, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
President Joe Biden said on Monday that relations between Washington and Beijing were not weakened by the United States' downing of a suspected Chinese spy balloon over the weekend.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Biden said it was always his view that the balloon needed to be shot down "as soon as it was appropriate."
Asked if the balloon incident weakens US-China relations, Biden said: "No. We made it clear to China what we're going to do. They understand our position. We're not going to back off."
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Biden continued: "We did the right thing and it's not a question of weakening or strengthening - it's reality."
