Chinese-American relations took a nosedive at the weekend when the US destroyed a ‘spy’ balloon launched from Beijing.
The massive white orb had drifted across US airspace before being shot down by a fighter jet over the Atlantic on live TV on Saturday.
China claimed ownership of the balloon and insisted it was an unmanned weather surveillance aircraft that had veered off-course, but the US remains unconvinced.
US officials have said it was being used for surveillance and intelligence collection,