Pentagon Confirms a Second Chinese Surveillance Balloon Has Been Spotted
A second Chinese spy balloon has been spotted in the Western Hemisphere, the Pentagon revealed Friday.
“We are seeing reports of a balloon transiting Latin America. We now assess it is another Chinese surveillance balloon,” Pentagon representative Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told Fox News in a Friday night interview.
The announcement came amid a furor over a Chinese spy balloon that had been drifting above Montana earlier in the week.
A representative of the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Friday the balloon was a civilian airship that had gone off course.
However, a senior U.S. official told Fox News the course over the U.S. was “intentional.”
Citing the balloon incident, Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled his planned trip to China.
Blinken on Friday said he spoke to Wang Yi, the top diplomat in China, and “made clear that the presence of this surveillance balloon in U.S. airspace is a clear violation of U.S. sovereignty and international law,” according to the Guardian.
Blinken said, “the United States is committed to diplomatic engagement with China and that I plan to visit Beijing when conditions allow.”
“The first step is getting the surveillance asset out of our airspace. That’s what we’re focused on,” he said.
Joe Biden has just given the “okay” for Chinese spy balloons to fly all over our nation.
Now there’s one flying over Latin America, too.
Have we ever looked weaker?
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) February 4, 2023
Wang told the media that emotions over the incident should cool, according to the Independent.
“China is a responsible country and has always strictly abided by international law. We do not accept any groundless speculation and hype. In the face of unexpected situations, what both parties need to do is to maintain concentration, communicate in a timely manner, avoid misjudgments, and manage and control differences,” he said.
The Biden administration has been excoriated for its decision not the shoot down the balloon over the U.S.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas called out the Biden administration for allowing the balloon to become “a direct and ongoing national security threat to the U.S. homeland,” the Guardian reported.
Ryder said Friday that the Pentagon “will continue to monitor and review options,” according to NBC.
I can confirm the Chinese spy ballon is over NE KS. My staff is in contact with law enforcement officials.
I condemn any attempts the Chinese make to spy on Americans. President Biden must protect the sovereignty of the U.S. whether it’s our airspace or the southern border.
— Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) February 3, 2023
“The balloon continues to move eastward and is currently over the center of the continental United States,” he said.
“We currently assess the balloon does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground at this time,” he said.
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