Britain Reviews The Security Of Its Airspace After China's Obstacle Basin Incident In The US Region

British Defense Minister Ben Wallace (jas). (Wikimedia Commons/Sgt Donald C Todd, RLC)

JAKARTA - Britain will review its airspace security, following a storm of Chinese spy balloons suspected of traveling to US airspace earlier this month, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said.

The United States shot down the balloon, which it said was used to spy on it, and three other flying objects have been dropped by security forces in North America.

Meanwhile, Beijing claims it is a weather balloon, accusing the United States of overreacting.

Britain and its allies will revisit what this airspace intrusion means to our security. This development is another sign of how the picture of global threats is changing for the worse," Wallace told the Telegraph.

The newspaper reported that a security review would be used to help decide whether changes need to be made for British airspace surveillance.

Asked about a UK review during a routine briefing in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said: "We have stated our position on the incident. All parties must look at it objectively and stop playing with the matter."

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declined to comment on national security when asked by reporters whether he was aware of any spy balloons seen in the UK, but said Britain's capabilities, including the Rapid Response Warning force with the Typhoon jet, oversee the British airspace.

Prime Minister Sunak said the government would do "what it takes to maintain the security of the country".

Watching Chinese balloons floating over the United States cause political outrage in Washington, sharpening the focus of the challenges posed by China against the United States and its allies.

Asked in Sky News on Monday if it was possible Chinese spy balloons had been used in the UK, Junior Transport Minister Richard autovised to say: "That's possible."

"The government is concerned about what is happening. China is a hostile country and we need to be aware of it, as well as how to act and behave," he said.