A jet flies by a suspected Chinese spy balloon as it floats off the coast in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, U.S. February 4, 2023. 
Randall Hill | Reuters

China's defence ministry on Sunday protested against the U.S. "attack" of an unmanned Chinese airship in the United States, saying that it was an "obvious overreaction".

China reserves the right to use the necessary means to deal with similar situations, said Tan Kefei, a ministry spokesman, in a statement, without elaborating.