WASHINGTON: The United States is expected to soon announce the successful conclusion of recovery efforts off South Carolina for the remains of a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon shot down by a U.S. fighter jet, three U.S. officials told Reuters on Friday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The U.S. military said earlier this week it had recovered all of the priority sensor and electronics pieces identified as well as large sections of the balloon’s structure.

Biden says will contact Xi in wake of balloon shoot-down

The Chinese balloon, which Beijing denies was a government spy vessel, spent a week flying over the United States and Canada before President Joe Biden ordered it shot down. The episode strained ties between Washington and Beijing, leading America’s top diplomat to postpone a trip to China.