The US detects a Chinese spy balloon over its territory

“Once the balloon was detected, the US government took immediate action to protect itself against the collection of sensitive information,” the Pentagon said.

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USA announced this Thursday that it detected an alleged china espa hot air balloon, that it is currently flying over its territory at a high altitude and that it “poses no military or physical risk” to anyone on the surface.

Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder, specified in a statement that at this time the United States follow “closely” the movements of the globe, traveling at a higher altitude than commercial air traffic.

“Once the balloon was detected, the US government took immediate action to protect itself against the collection of sensitive information” by China, Ryder said, noting that it’s not the first time that authorities have detected such a device 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 Biden, has been informed about.

In fact, the president asked the US military leaders about possible “options”, while the Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, met with the Pentagon leadership on Wednesday, despite the fact that he was traveling Philippines.

Both the head of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, as the leader of the Northern Command, general Glen Van Herck, They strongly recommended “no kinetic action” because of the risk it could pose to people on the surface, due to possible falling debris from the balloon.

In this sense, 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 him 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.

The Defense source assured that this device “has limited additional value” with regard to the collection of intelligence material.

The announcement comes before the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, A two-day visit to China begins Sunday, the first trip by 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 respective embassies of China and the US in Washington and Peking.

“We have conveyed to them the seriousness with which we take this matter,” remarked the source, who added that the US “will do whatever is necessary to protect its people and its territory.”