An alleged Chinese spy balloon is reportedly seen hovering about the airspace of the Northern US in the past several days, Pentagon officials say.
(Photo : by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
The Pentagon logo and an American flag are lit up January 3, 2002 in the briefing room of Pentagon in Arlington, VA.
Chinese Spy Balloon Flying Over Montana, US
The surveillance balloon was spotted flying right above Montana, which interestingly houses at least three nuclear missiles, according to a report by the South China Morning Post.
A senior US defense official reportedly told the reporters at the Pentagon that they have "very high confidence" that the high-altitude balloon is from China.
The defense official went on to note that they saw the surveillance balloon flying over sensitive sites in a bid to collect information.
It is worth mentioning that the senior official opted to disclose these details anonymously, as they are sensitive information.
Pentagon Now Tracks Alleged Chinese Spy Balloon
Meanwhile, Aljazeera reports that the Pentagon has decided not to shoot down the suspected Chinese spy balloon due to the risk that comes with it. The officials believe such a move might end up harming the folks on the ground.
So instead, the Pentagon is now tracking the alleged Chinese surveillance balloon hovering in the airspace of the Northern US.
The press secretary of the Pentagon, Brigadier General Patrick Ryder, confirmed in a recent briefing that they are still tracking the spy balloon.
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Chinese Spy Balloon Altitude
Besides that, Brigadier General Ryder gave an update on the altitude of the suspected Chinese spy balloon hovering over the US.
(Photo : by PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP via Getty Images)
The Pentagon logo seen during a media briefing October 21, 2014, in the Press Room of the Pentagon in Washington.
The Pentagon press secretary says it is "currently traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic."
However, Brigadier General Ryder notes that it "does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground."
The US defense official disclosed that it is not the first instance that they have seen similar balloon activity in the past years.
He notes that the US has already reached out to the authorities in China. The Pentagon press secretary says they have already "engaged" with them, relaying how serious this is.
Despite that, China has yet to speak about the allegations of the US.
The South China Morning Post notes in its story that the flying balloon incident comes amid the incoming first visit of the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, this weekend.
However, it remains to be seen if the suspected Chinese spy balloon would affect the trip of the Secretary of State to China.
In other news, the European Union (EU) now supports the US in its decision to block exporting chip-making supplies to China.
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