In a response to the White House’s statement on suspected ‘spy balloons’ being a part of a PRC fleet of balloons developed to conduct surveillance operations, the Chinterinese Foreign Ministry said that the US overreacted by using force and that the narrative is probably part of the information and public opinion warfare Washington has waged on China, ANI reported.
During a regular press conference, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that the unmanned Chinese civilian airship into US airspace is entirely caused by “force majeure.”
“On the airship, the Chinese side has repeatedly shared its information. The unintended, unexpected entry of the unmanned Chinese civilian airship into US airspace is entirely caused by force majeure. The Chinese side has made that clear in its communication with the US side time and again, yet the US overreacted by using force. China firmly opposes and deplores this. I am not aware of any fleet of balloons,” the official readout of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China quoted Mao Ning as saying.
Earlier, the United States released details about the alleged Chinese “spy” balloon that flew over the country last week, saying the aircraft was “clearly” used to gather intelligence.
The balloon, which was shot down by US forces over the Atlantic Ocean after traversing the continental US, was “capable of conducting signals intelligence collection operations”, a US Department of State official told Al Jazeera on Thursday.
