'Civilian Airship Used For Weather Research': China Says Balloon 'Accidentally Strayed' Into US Airspace

According to the statement, the airship has limited steering capacity and "deviated considerably from its scheduled route" due to wind.

This handout photo from Chase Doak taken on February 1, 2023, and released on February 2 shows a suspected Chinese spy balloon in the sky over Billings, Montana.

Source : AFP

The balloon suspected of spying by the US was a "civilian airship" utilised for research, mostly meteorological objectives, according to China's Foreign Ministry, news agency Associated Press (AP) reported.

According to the statement, the airship has limited steering capacity and "deviated considerably from its scheduled route" due to wind.

It stated that China regrets the airship's unintentional incursion into US airspace.

China says balloon seen over US airspace is "civilian airship" used for research that blew off course, expresses regret, reports AP

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 3, 2023

Because of fears about harming people on the ground, the Pentagon chose not to shoot down the balloon, which was potentially flying over vital installations.

The announcement came as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was set to visit Beijing for the first time this weekend. The visit has not been publicly publicised, and it was unclear whether the finding of the balloon would influence his travel plans.

Blinken would be the highest-ranking member of President Joe Biden's administration to visit China, on a mission to improve ties between the two nations amid trade disagreements and worries over Beijing's more assertive approach toward Taiwan and in the South China Sea, AP reported.

Earlier on Thursday, a senior American military source told Pentagon reporters that the US has "very high confidence" that the item detected above US airspace in recent days was a Chinese high-altitude balloon travelling over critical installations to collect data.

The balloon was discovered in Montana, which is home to one of the country's three nuclear missile silo fields at Malmstrom Air Force Base. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive issues.

(With Inputs From AP)