The US said it is tracking a ‘high-altitude surveillance balloon’, which it claims was sent by China. AP
Hong Kong: While Canada said it was keeping an eye on a “possible second incident,” China on Friday urged calm and said it was checking into allegations of a high-altitude surveillance balloon believed to belong to Beijing flying above the United States.
The balloon, which travelled over the Aleutian Islands and through Canada until being detected over Billings, Montana, was tracked by the military, according to U.S. officials on Thursday.
Since China has previously flown stratospheric balloons over the nation, but not often for this length of time, a senior defence official stated that the United States was convinced that the balloon belonged to China.
Speaking on behalf of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Mao Ning said that while facts were still being established, and that the hype and speculations were unhelpful.
At a daily briefing, Mao stated, “China is a responsible country that always abides by international law and has no intention of trespassing upon another country’s territory and airspace.”
She continued, “We hope that both parties can handle this together with caution and calm.
The balloon discovery occurs only days before Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the highest-ranking Biden administration official to visit China, is scheduled to do so. Mao said that she was unaware of how his visit wouldbe impacted.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command, a U.S.-Canadian military group, has identified and is “actively tracking” a high-altitude surveillance balloon, according to a brief statement released by the Canadian Departmentof National Defence late on Thursday.
Must Read: Now, Canada confirms sighting of Chinese spy balloon; issues alertIt didn’t say anything specific about the balloon or whether it was the identical balloon discovered in the United States.
It however stated, without further explanation, “Canadians are safe and Canada is taking precautions to protect the security of its airspace, including the surveillance of a potential second incident.”
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