US lawmakers clash over Biden’s handling of Chinese balloon

REPUBLICANS lashed into Joe Biden yesterday over his handling of the suspected Chinese spy balloon, while Democrats defended the president’s decision to shoot it down after it floated across the United States for days, further straining taut relations with Beijing.

With efforts to retrieve balloon debris continuing off the South Carolina coast one day after a US fighter jet downed the large airship, the incident sparked fiery debate over Biden’s dealing with the matter and how US-Chinese ties might suffer.