China’s head meteorologist was reportedly fired last week amid heightened tensions with the United States, caused by a surveillance balloon which traveled over the U.S. mainland that China maintains was collecting weather data when it blew off course. Zhuang Guotai, the head of the China Meteorological Administration, was removed from his position Friday, according to CNN. Many analysts connected the move to the balloon fiasco, saying China was using it to double down on its claims that the vessel was a civilian aircraft being used for research purposes. Zhuang was also elected last month to his province’s advisory board, which may have contributed to his departure, CNN reported, claiming his “departure from that post was not unexpected.”