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As Beijing calculates its full response to its balloon being shot down off the southeastern US coast on Saturday, it needs to consider what it will do if the US starts sending balloons to China, an international law expert said.
In a statement on Sunday, China condemned the Department of Defense for destroying the balloon, saying the Pentagon “obviously overreacted” and “seriously violated international practices.”
But the Foreign Ministry’s complaint stopped short of accusing the US of breaking international law, which it often declares if it believes it can argue such a case, Julian Ku, a professor of law at Hofstra University who studies China’s role in international law, told The New York Times.
“Moreover, they need to think about their own rights in case the US starts sending balloons or drones into China,” Ku told the outlet. “If they push too hard here, it would undermine a future legal argument they might need to make.
