ANOTHER CHINESE SPY BALLOON SPOTTED OVER LATIN AMERICA, SAYS PENTAGON

Sat 04 February 2023:

The Chinese spy balloon flying above the United States isn’t the only one that should not be there.

News outlets in Costa Rica reported Thursday that a similar-looking aircraft hovered above the country’s western coast, raising suspicions that the balloon over Montana wasn’t alone in the sky.

It is unclear exactly which country in the region the balloon is hovering over but it does not appear as if it is headed towards the United States, according to CNN.

BALLOON OVER US AIRSPACE IS CIVILIAN AIRSHIP, CHINA SAYS (VIDEO)

A Chinese spy balloon was flying above Latin America, Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder said Friday.

“We have seen the news of the balloon flying over Latin America. We consider this to be another Chinese surveillance balloon,” he said. “At this stage, we do not have any other information.”

The Pentagon announced earlier that it is tracking a suspected Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon above the continental US.

US alleges Chinese spy balloon flew over sensitive military sites#ChinaBalloon pic.twitter.com/4KREkjnKc9

— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) February 3, 2023

It remains unclear why China sent such vehicles above the United States and Costa Rica at the same time, especially since Beijing has space-based satellites that can surveil the same territory with more reliability. It’s possible, though unconfirmed, that other balloons were launched elsewhere around the world but not spotted.

But the news of the Latin American balloon adds to the mystery of why China sent another one to fly over Alaska, Canada, Idaho, Montana and Kansas this week. Earlier on Friday, Ryder said the aircraft in U.S. airspace is headed eastward.

Balloon: China says both sides will handle it with mutual calm and prudence#ChinaBalloon pic.twitter.com/GK2SWaSuPv

— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) February 3, 2023

China’s foreign ministry issued a statement on Saturday saying the flight of a Chinese “airship” over the US was a force majeure accident and accused US politicians and media of taking advantage of the situation to discredit Beijing.

“China has always strictly abided by international law and respected the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry also said Beijing and Washington had not announced any visit by Blinken and that “the US announcements are their own matter and we respect that”.

Senior Pentagon officials, including Gen. Mark Milley, the Joint Chief chair, recommended that the U.S. military not shoot down the balloon to eliminate the risk of debris harming civilians some 60,000 feet below the flight path. But lawmakers, mostly Republicans, insist that the U.S. should take the aircraft out of the sky.

BREAKING: DoD Says China’s Surveillance Balloon is “Currently Over the Center of the Continental United States” pic.twitter.com/w2iLEymxNC

— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) February 3, 2023

Defence officials have said the balloon’s flight path had taken it over “a number of sensitive” military sites, including the Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, which houses 150 nuclear warheads.

Meanwhile, China’s foreign ministry has accused American officials of using the balloon incident to smear China.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said the balloon was a “civilian airship used for research, mainly meteorological purposes.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed his planned trip to China following the incident.

Ties between Beijing and Washington have soured over numerous points of tension in recent years, including trade issues, the status of Taiwan, China’s claims in the South China Sea and an ongoing US push against growing Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific.

The US has also been warning China against coming to Russia’s aid in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Canada, which borders Montana and has frosty relations with China, said it summoned the Chinese ambassador on Thursday over the incident.

“We will continue to vigorously express our position to Chinese officials through multiple channels,” the Canadian foreign ministry told Al Jazeera in an email.

Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly said she discussed the security of the country’s airspace with Blinken on Friday.

“We are collaborating with our American partners and continue to take all necessary measures to safeguard Canada’s sensitive information,” Joly said in a tweet.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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