China has slammed a move by the United States to shot down an unmanned Chinese airship off its southeastern coast.

According to a statement by the Foreign Ministry, China expressed strong dissatisfaction and opposition towards the use of force to attack the civilian unmanned airship.

"The Chinese side has, after verification, repeatedly informed the US side of the civilian nature of the airship and conveyed that its entry into the United States due to force majeure was totally unexpected, the statement said, noting the Chinese side has clearly asked the US side to properly handle the matter in a calm, professional and restrained manner," Xinhua News Agency reported.

Xinhua said the civilian airship is used for research – mainly meteorological – purposes, and deviated from its planned course as it was affected by the Westerlies and possessed limited self-steering capability.

The Foreign Ministry statement also said the US Defence Department also noted the balloon does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground.

It described the use of force as "a clear overreaction and a serious violation of international practice".

The craft spent several days flying over North America before it was targeted with a missile shot from an F-22 plane off the coast of South Carolina, Pentagon officials said, falling into relatively shallow water just 14 metres deep. (Additional reporting by AFP)