China has reported a mysterious object flying over its port city close to the Bohai Sea in the north and is now preparing to shoot it down, according to Interesting Engineering.  

Recently, the US also shot down multiple high-altitude objects. The latest take-downs were over Canada's Yukon Territory just over the weekend. On another note, Beijing accused Washington of waging "an information war." 

Mysterious Floating Objects

Last week, when the US shot down an alleged spy balloon, China said it was a weather balloon designed for civilian use that had accidentally entered US airspace. 

However, within days, more balloons were spotted in other areas. According to The Washington Post, China was running a huge surveillance program using these balloons, which had also been deployed in other countries, like India, Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines. 

When China said it had also spotted a flying object and was preparing to shoot it down, things took a turn. It was first spotted over the waters over Rizhao, but it wasn't clear what the object was. 

Fishermen were encouraged to be alert and to also take photos of the debris as evidence when spotted. The sighting also comes at a time when the People's Liberation Army (PLA) is conducting military exercises in Bohai Strait. 

Also read: US Military Will Use 'High-Altitude Hot Air Balloons' to Prevent Hypersonic Missiles Against China and Russia

The Balloon Saga 

Balloons can be deployed suddenly and unexpectedly, allowing for less time for the US to conceal its resources. As well as this, the balloons are fitted with infrared sensors that provide data that differs from what satellites can detect. The balloons are not as effective as satellites in gathering useful data. However, they can still provide helpful information that is not currently available from the Chinese satellite network.

China has denied involvement in or responsibility for cyber espionage activities and accused the United States of using baseless accusations to tarnish China's reputation. China also claims that the US has flown its aircraft illegally over Chinese airspace more than 10 times since early 2022. China has often complained about US surveillance ships and planes near its territory, leading to occasional skirmishes. China has stated that the US is the world leader in spying, eavesdropping, and surveillance activities, which is easily visible to the international community.

In response to this tension between the two nations, both countries have increased their military presence near each other's borders as well as deployed more advanced surveillance technologies such as satellites or balloons. This increase in activity has caused further unease among citizens living close to these areas due to fears of an armed conflict breaking out at any moment. 

To prevent things from escalating even further, international organizations are attempting diplomatic solutions with both parties involved so they can reach an agreement without resorting to violence or aggression towards one another. It remains unclear if either side is willing to make concessions, though. Still, hopefully, cooler heads will prevail before tensions boil over into something worse than what we've already seen recently.

Related article: Chinese Spy Balloon Update: China Confirms Its Airship, But Was Blown Off Its Planned Course