BEIJING: China confirmed on Monday that a balloon identified by Washington and Bogota flying over Latin America is Chinese, after a similar bomb was shot down by the United States over the weekend.
The Pentagon said Friday that a second suspected Chinese spy balloon has been sighted across Latin America.
The Colombian Air Force later reported that an object with “balloon-like characteristics” was detected and “monitored until it left the national airspace”.
The Air Force said it was conducting investigations in coordination with other countries and institutions “to establish the object’s origins.”
Beijing’s foreign ministry said on Monday that the object came “from China” and that it was “civilian in nature and used for flight tests”.
“Affected by weather forces in addition to its limited maneuverability, the airship deviated significantly from its intended course and accidentally entered Latin American and Caribbean airspace,” spokesman Mao Ning said at a news conference.
“China is a responsible country and has always strictly complied with international law,” he added.
“We have communicated with the relevant parties and are managing appropriately and will not cause any threat to any country.”
The detection of the other balloon over the United States prompted the cancellation of a planned visit to China by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, which was due to arrive in Beijing on Sunday.
China expressed anger Sunday over the downing of the balloon, which it insists was an unmanned weather surveillance aircraft that veered off course.
The Pentagon said Friday that a second suspected Chinese spy balloon has been sighted across Latin America.
The Colombian Air Force later reported that an object with “balloon-like characteristics” was detected and “monitored until it left the national airspace”.
The Air Force said it was conducting investigations in coordination with other countries and institutions “to establish the object’s origins.”
Beijing’s foreign ministry said on Monday that the object came “from China” and that it was “civilian in nature and used for flight tests”.
“Affected by weather forces in addition to its limited maneuverability, the airship deviated significantly from its intended course and accidentally entered Latin American and Caribbean airspace,” spokesman Mao Ning said at a news conference.
“China is a responsible country and has always strictly complied with international law,” he added.
“We have communicated with the relevant parties and are managing appropriately and will not cause any threat to any country.”
The detection of the other balloon over the United States prompted the cancellation of a planned visit to China by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, which was due to arrive in Beijing on Sunday.
China expressed anger Sunday over the downing of the balloon, which it insists was an unmanned weather surveillance aircraft that veered off course.
