After the United States shot down a similar gadget over the weekend, Chinese officials confirmed on Monday that a balloon detected by Bogota and Washington soaring in the skies of Latin America is Chinese.
The Pentagon announced on Friday that it has discovered a second balloon, presumed to be a Chinese spy, floating through the skies of Latin America.
The air force of Colombia then claimed an object spotted with “characteristics similar to those of a balloon” had been detected and “monitored until it left the national air space”.
The air force announced that investigations are being performed in coordination with other agencies and governments “to establish the origins of the object”.
The foreign ministry of Beijing said that the balloon was “from China” and that it was of “a civilian nature and used for flight tests”.
“Affected by weather forces in addition to its maneuverability being limited, the airship deviated greatly from its expected course, and accidentally entered Latin American and Caribbean airspace,” said spokesperson Mao Ning, while speaking at a press briefing.
“China is a responsible country and has always strictly abided by international law. We have communicated with the relevant parties and are handling it appropriately, and will not cause any threat to any country,” she added.
The air force announced that investigations are being performed in coordination with other agencies and governments “to establish the origins of the object”.
The foreign ministry of Beijing on Monday said that the balloon was “from China” and that it was of “a civilian nature and used for flight tests”.
“Affected by weather forces in addition to its maneuverability being limited, the airship deviated greatly from its expected course, and accidentally entered Latin American and Caribbean airspace,” said spokesperson Mao Ning, while speaking at a press briefing.
“China is a responsible country and has always strictly abided by international law. We have communicated with the relevant parties and are handling it appropriately, and will not cause any threat to any country,” she added.
