China has said an alleged spy balloon flying over the United States was actually a “civilian airship” that had strayed into US airspace.
The United States said it believed the object was a high-altitude surveillance balloon flying over sensitive sites to gather information.
The Foreign Ministry in Beijing admitted the balloon had come from China – but said it was intended for meteorological research and other scientific research.
He added that he regretted having lost his way.
However, a US official said earlier: “It is clear that the intention of this balloon is to monitor.”
The airship was spotted over Billings, Montana, Wednesday – near one of three US nuclear missile silo fields at Malmstrom Air Force Base.
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It flew over the Aleutian Islands, off Alaskaand through Canada before entering the United States.
The balloon is still in US airspace, but officials declined to say where it is currently.
They acknowledged that it operated above civilian air traffic and below “outer space”, but declined to say how high it was flying.
Military and defense leaders considered firing the balloon from the sky, but decided against it due to the security risk of falling debris.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin convened a meeting of senior military and defense officials to review the balloon’s threat profile and possible responses, which were presented to the US President. Joe Biden Wednesday.
US tracks suspected Chinese balloon
The United States is committed Chinese “emergency” officials and communicated the seriousness of the situation.
Pentagon Press Secretary Brigadier General Patrick Ryder said: “The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is currently over the continental United States.
“The US government to include NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command), continues to track and monitor it closely.
“The balloon is currently traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and poses no military or physical threat to those on the ground.
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“Examples of this type of balloon activity have already been observed in recent years.
“Once the balloon was detected, the US government acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information.”
China and the United States have seen tensions lately, clashing over Taiwan’s and China’s human rights record and its military activity in the South China Sea.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to visit China in the coming days.
It’s unclear whether this will affect his travel plans, which the State Department has not officially announced.
