UPDATE: China is confirming a high-altitude balloon moving over the U.S. is theirs.
China’s Foreign Ministry said the balloon is a civilian airship used for weather research that was blown off course. China said it regrets the “unintended entry” into American airspace.
U.S. officials said the military was monitoring the balloon first spotted over Montana earlier this week. The incident came days ahead of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s planned trip to Beijing.
A suspected Chinese spy balloon about the size of three buses is being monitored by the U.S. government.
It was seen hovering over the northern part of the country the last few days and is said to be still flying. The high-altitude balloon was spotted over Montana on Wednesday, flying in through Canada. Officials also discussed shooting it out of the sky, but have since advised President Biden against it due to fear the debris could pose a safety threat to people on the ground. Meantime, the Pentagon says the U.S. has reached out to China “with urgency through multiple channels.”
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said “China is a responsible country and we act in accordance with international law.” The official added that China has “no intention to violate other countries’ sovereignty and airspace.” She said China is working on “gathering and verifying the facts” and urged the U.S. to remain “cool headed.” The reports about the spy balloon comes as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken prepares for his visit to Beijing next week.
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Photo: Chase Doak via REUTERS
