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 U.S.-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."
Biden continued: "We did the right thing and it's not a question of weakening or strengthening - it's reality."
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Barack Obama Wants Joe Biden To Pull Out Of US Presidential Race: Report Joe Biden Appears To Face Difficulty While Getting Into Car, Video Goes Viral Biden Told Privately By Ex-Speaker Nancy Pelosi He Cannot Win: Report World's Largest Isolated Tribe Makes Rare Appearance In New Footage Barack Obama Wants Joe Biden To Pull Out Of US Presidential Race: Report Shooter Had Trump's Face Right In Middle Of Crosshairs, Shows New Video Ice-Cream Shop Owner Hospitalised After Being Shot At In Pune: Cops PM Modi Meets Party Staffers At BJP Headquarters NMC Approves 50 MBBS Seats For New Medical College In Odisha Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.