China’s foreign ministry claimed on Friday that a balloon that the US believes is being used for spying was a civilian “airship” for conducting meteorological research.
Meteorological research refers to the study of atmospheric processes and conditions, including weather patterns, air pollution, and climate change.
The goal of this research is to better understand and predict the behavior of the Earth’s atmosphere and to develop strategies to mitigate the impacts of weather- and climate-related events.
This type of research is important because it has the potential to improve public safety and decision-making, reduce economic losses, and protect the environment.
Beijing claimed the airship “deviated far from its planned course” after being blown off course and has limited steering capability.
It stated that China regrets the airship’s accidental entry into US airspace.
As the balloon traveled over the northern US, the Pentagon tracked it, further straining already strained relations between Washington and Beijing.
President Joe Biden is thought to have decided against shooting the balloon out of the sky due to the dangers of falling debris, even though defense officials have stated that the balloon’s current flight path takes it over “several sensitive” military sites.
Just to add: Joe Biden is indeed the 46th President of the United States. After spending 36 years representing Delaware in the U.S. Senate and 8 years serving as Vice President under President Barack Obama, he was sworn in on January 20, 2021.
Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, boosting the economy, addressing issues of racial and social justice, combating climate change, and reestablishing America’s standing abroad is among Vice President Joe Biden’s top priorities.
“The airship originates in China. According to a statement posted on its website by the Beijing Foreign Ministry, it is a civilian airship used for research, primarily in meteorology.
According to the statement, the Chinese side regrets the airship’s accidental entry into American airspace, which was caused by “force majeure,” according to the statement.
It was added that China would keep in touch with the US in order to “properly handle this unexpected situation.”
Strong winds and a lack of steering ability, according to the ministry, caused the object to “deviate far from its planned course.” Approximately 6,000 miles from China, in Billings, Montana, the balloon was spotted.
Canada had earlier declared that it was keeping an eye on a “potential second incident” involving a balloon. China has not yet reacted to this assertion.
The balloon, which flew over the Aleutian Islands and through Canada before entering American airspace, was being watched by the military, according to U.S. officials on Thursday.
Since China has previously flown stratospheric balloons over the nation, but not typically for this length of time, a senior defense official stated that the United States was confident that the balloon belonged to China.
The balloon revelation occurred just days before Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the highest-ranking Biden administration official to visit China, is scheduled to do so. Mao acknowledged that she was unaware of how his visit might be impacted.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command, a U.S.-Canadian military organization, has located and is “actively tracking” an element to ensure balloon stability, according to a brief statement released by the Canadian Department of National Defense late on Thursday.
The article made no specific mention of the balloon or even whether it was the identical balloon discovered in the United States.
“Canadians are safe, and Canada is taking steps to safeguard the security of its airspace, including that of monitoring a future second incident,” read the brief but to-the-point message.
Without mentioning China, the statement added that Canadian intelligence agencies collaborated with their American counterparts to safeguard against “foreign intelligence threats.”
Emails and phone calls asking for more information were not immediately answered by the department.
The balloon was still over the United States on Thursday, according to the senior defense official, who declined to say where. According to U.S. officials, it hasn’t been shot out of the sky yet because falling debris could endanger people on the ground.
Despite Montana being home to one of the three nuclear missile silo fields in the United States at Malmstrom Air Force Base, they claimed the balloon did not pose a threat to civil aviation and was only of limited use in gathering intelligence.
Mao Ning, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, earlier stated that Beijing was evaluating the situation and that speculation and hype were useless while the facts were still being established.
In an opening speech, Mao declared, “China is a responsible country that always upholds international law and has no intention of encroaching upon any sovereign borders and airspace.”
She proceeded, “We hope that when both parties involved can handle this collaborative manner with caution and composure.
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