China has said a suspected spy balloon that flew over the United States was actually a “civilian airship” that had gone missing in American airspace.
The United States said it believed the object was a high-altitude surveillance balloon flying over sensitive sites to gather intelligence.
Beijing’s foreign ministry admitted the balloon came from China but said it was intended for meteorological and scientific research.
He added that he regretted going off course.
However, a US official earlier said: “Clearly the intent of this balloon is for surveillance.”
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 the coast of Alaskaand through Canada before entering the United States.
The balloon is still in US airspace, but officials have declined to say where it is now.
They acknowledged it was operating above civilian air traffic and below “outer space,” but declined to say how high it was flying.
Defense and military leaders considered shooting the balloon from the sky, but decided against it due to the safety risk from falling debris.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin convened a meeting of senior defense and military leaders to review the balloon’s threat profile and possible responses, which were presented to the US president Joe Biden on Wednesday.
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The United States is committed Chinese officials “urgently” and communicated the seriousness of the situation.
Pentagon Press Secretary Brigadier General Patrick Ryder said, “The United States government has detected and is monitoring a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States at this time.
“The US government, including 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 people on the ground.
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“Instances of this type of ballooning activity have been seen before in recent years.
“Once the balloon was detected, the US government took immediate action to protect itself from the collection of sensitive information.”
China and the United States have experienced tensions in recent times, clashing over Taiwan and China’s human rights record and its military activity in the South China Sea.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to travel to China in the coming days.
It’s unclear whether that will affect his travel plans, which the State Department hasn’t formally announced.
