The United States and Canada have been monitoring since Thursday at least one Chinese spy balloon that has been flying over their territory and sensitive military sites for several days, which reignited tensions between Washington and Beijing a few days after a visit by the head of US diplomacy to China. .
The Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder, specified in a statement that the United States is currently following “closely” the movements of the balloon, which travels at a higher altitude than commercial air traffic. The Canadian government said for its part that it was investigating a “potential second incident.”
(Also read: New case of police abuse: Afro-American in a wheelchair is shot to death.)
This is what is known so far.
The United States announced Thursday that it has detected a suspected Chinese spy hot air balloon, which is currently flying over its territory at high altitude and that it “poses no military or physical risk” to anyone on the surface.
Once the balloon was detected, the US government acted immediately to protect itself against the collection of sensitive information” by China, Ryder said, noting that it is not the first time that the authorities have detected a device of this type in recent years.
For his part, a high-ranking defense official said in a telephone conversation with reporters that they believe the balloon belongs to China and that the US President Joe Bidenhas been informed about it.
In fact, the president asked about possible “options” to the US military officials, while the Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, met on Wednesday with the leadership of the Pentagon, despite the fact that he was traveling through the Philippines .
(You can read: USA: FBI searches another Biden house in search of more secret documents).
How does China respond to the accusations?
China said it is verifying the information but called not to “conjecture” or “exaggerate the issue” “until the facts are clear.”
“Until the facts are clarified, speculation and commotion are not going to help to properly solve this matter“Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a press conference on Friday.
According to Mao, “Beijing is verifying reports that a spy balloon has been flying over the United States,” although he stressed that “China has no intention of violating the territory or airspace of any sovereign state.”
(United States) will do whatever it takes to protect its people and its territory
“China hopes to deal with this matter calmly and prudently with the United States,” added the official, adding that “China is a responsible country and always strictly abides by international law.”
“We hope that both parties will handle (the situation) with mutual calm and prudence,” he concludes.
(Also read: Ukraine warns that Russia is preparing a major offensive for the year of the war)
At the request of President Joe Biden, the Department of Defense examined the possibility of shooting down the devicebut made the decision not to do so because of the potential risks to people on the ground, a senior US defense official said on condition of anonymity on Thursday.
“Clearly the intent of this balloon is surveillance, and the current flight path takes it over a number of sensitive sites,” the official said.
The Defense source explained that the device is “big enough” to cause damage if it is knocked to the ground.
He explained that on Wednesday they evaluated the option of shooting it down in a sparsely populated area of Montana (USA), but they chose not to risk it, and that they have received warnings from pilots who have sighted it despite the fact that it flies quite high.
(We recommend: Video: woman almost dies crushed by a rock that entered her house in Hawaii).
What route has the spy balloon followed?
The balloon flew over the northwestern United States, where there are sensitive airbases and strategic nuclear missiles in underground silos, but the Pentagon does not believe this device poses much of a threat because it “has limited additive value from a data collection perspective.” Intelligence”.
Does not pose a military or physical threat to people on the ground
“We are taking steps to protect ourselves from the collection of sensitive information by foreign intelligence,” said the official, however, who maintains that he has “no doubt about the fact that the balloon comes from China.”
The balloon entered US airspace “several days ago,” the official said, but had been tracked by US intelligence services before.
Several fighter jets examined the globe when he was flying over Montana (north). It currently flies “at an altitude well above commercial air traffic” and “poses no military or physical threat to people on the ground,” Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said in a statement.
(Continue reading: Von der Leyen and Zelensky talk about Ukraine’s accession to the EU and sanctions against Russia)
Canada reports ‘second incident’
“Canadians are safe and Canada is taking steps to ensure the safety of its airspace, even with vigilance for a potential second incident,” Canada’s Defense Ministry said in a statement.
Canada did not refer to China. “Canadian intelligence agencies work with their US partners and take all necessary measures to safeguard Canada’s sensitive information from threats from abroad,” the ministry said.
We made it clear to them that we will do what is necessary to protect
our town
China has flown surveillance balloons over the United States in the past.
The relationship between the two powers is tense, in particular with regard to Taiwan, which the Chinese government considers part of its territory and whose control it intends to regain control of one day, if necessary by force.
According to the defense official, Washington brought up the spy balloon issue with the Chinese authorities. “We told them clearly that we will do what is necessary to protect our people in our territory,” he said.
(Keep reading: New case of police abuse: African-American in a wheelchair is shot dead)
The incident It comes before US Secretary of State Antony Blinken begins a two-day visit to China on Sunday, in the first trip of a US foreign minister to the Asian country since 2018.
The Defense official stated that after the detection of the balloon they have been in contact with Chinese officials through various channels, such as the respective Chinese and US embassies in Washington and Beijing.
“We have conveyed to them the seriousness with which we take this matter,” the source remarked, adding that the US “will do whatever is necessary to protect its people and its territory.”
INTERNATIONAL WRITING
With information from EFE and AFP
#Chinese #spy #balloon #flying #Canada