China Admits Owner Of Spy Balloon Over Latin America Skies

UNSPLASH ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in Beijing acknowledged that another unmanned vehicle called a "spy balloon" seen in Latin America belongs to China.

"With regard to the balloon over Latin America, it has been verified that the drone came from China," said MFA spokesperson Mao Ning as reported by ANTARA, Monday, February 6.

According to him, the object was civilian equipment used for flight tests.

The weather-affected object and limited self-control system capabilities were said to have deviated far from its planned course and entered Latin American and Caribbean airspace.

Regarding the incident, said Mao in a regular press conference in Beijing, revealing that countermeasures had been taken. He said China is a responsible country and always acts in accordance with international law.

"We have informed the relevant parties to handle it properly and not pose a threat to any country. They have conveyed their understanding," he said.

Previously, a "spy balloon" was also seen over Montana, United States. The intelligence device was then shot down by a US fighter jet over the waters of the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday (4/2) with the approval of President Joe Biden.

The appearance of the balloon made the US furious so Foreign Minister Antony Blinken postponed his visit to China, which was originally scheduled for Friday (3/2).

However, Beijing stated that there had never been any previous discussions regarding Blinken's planned visit to China.

Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Xie Feng lodged a formal protest over the balloon shooting at the US through the embassy in Beijing on Monday.

China's Ministry of Defense has also filed a protest on Sunday (5/2) because it considers the US overreacting by shooting down the unmanned civilian vehicle, which it said was flown for meteorological research purposes.

"The accidental entry of the aircraft is a completely unexpected force majeure incident. We specifically asked the US side to handle it calmly, professionally, and appropriately without resorting to coercive measures," Mao said.

As a responsible country, China previously notified the US about the incident so that it was handled fairly.

The Pentagon -- the headquarters of the US Department of Defense -- said that during the administration of former President Donald Trump, there were three Chinese spy balloons flying in US airspace.

This statement was denied by Mao. "I note that Mr. Trump has disputed the claims," ​​he said.