China says U.S. balloons have flown over its airspace more than 10 times since last year

China's Foreign Ministry on Monday said the United States had illegally flown balloons over its airspace more than ten times since last year, and it reiterated criticism of the U.S. for allegedly overreacting by shooting down a Chinese aircraft.

"Since last year alone, U.S. high-altitude balloons have illegally flown over China's airspace more than ten times without the approval of relevant Chinese authorities," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said, as translated. "The U.S. should change its course and reflect on itself, instead of smearing and accusing China."

The U.S. military has shot down four suspicious aerial objects this month. U.S. officials say at least one of the balloons is part of a Chinese surveillance operation.

Wenbin said he is "not aware" of three of the objects shot down over the weekend, but he maintained that the aircraft brought down earlier this month was an unmanned Chinese civilian ship that strayed into U.S. airspace. 

"The U.S. side's shooting down of it was an indiscriminate use of force and an overreaction, which we firmly oppose," he said.