BEIJING – The Chinese government is investigating reports of a Chinese spy balloon spotted by the US military over the north-western state of Montana, a spokesperson said on Friday.
“We are collecting and checking the facts,” Foreign Office spokesperson Mao Ning told the media in Beijing, reported German news agenncy dpa.
“We hope both sides will handle the matter with a cool head,” she added, noting that it was not helpful to speculate or escalate the issue before it was clear what had happened.
The Pentagon said on Thursday that it was closely monitoring the trajectory of the balloon over US territory. The US Department of Defence said it had considered shooting it down but decided against that option due to the danger of falling debris.
The balloon flew over the state of Montana, where 150 intercontinental ballistic missiles armed with nuclear warheads are stored at a military base in the north, according to the Wall Street Journal newspaper.
US authorities are certain the balloon comes from China.
The incident occurred shortly before a planned visit to China by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is expected in Beijing on Sunday. It is the first such visit since October 2018. Relations between Beijing and Washington are strained.
Similar incidents have happened in the past, however this time the device has remained over US territory longer than usual. According to the Pentagon, the balloon poses no danger to aircraft due to its high altitude. The US is in contact with China about the incident. – Bernama
