China, which reacted sharply to the recent US downing of a Chinese balloon, had one of its fighter jets shoot down what it claimed was a foreign spy balloon four years ago, according to Chinese media outlets.

The outlets said the Chinese military plane downed the balloon with a missile after it entered Chinese airspace in September 2019.

It was reportedly identified as a surveillance balloon from a foreign country. However, it's unclear from reports published at the time which country that was.

Chinese officials at that time warned that such a balloon was used by a world power for surveillance purposes, including monitoring weather conditions and terrestrial installations. They were also wary of airships, which they said could be used to track low-flying cruise missiles.

Experts say that China's 2019 action looks quite similar to what the US Air Force has recently done against a Chinese balloon, which was spotted crossing the continental US.

The US move sparked a backlash from Beijing. China's foreign ministry said the use of force against the Chinese balloon was an "obvious overreaction" and violated international standard practices.