HONG KONG – China said on Friday that a high-altitude balloon the US suspects of conducting surveillance is a civilian “airship” used for weather and other scientific research that strayed into American airspace.
In a statement, the Chinese foreign ministry said it regrets the balloon’s unintended entry into the US, and that Beijing will remain in touch with US officials “to properly handle the unexpected situation”.
“The airship is from China and is civilian in nature, used for meteorological and other scientific research. Due to the influence of westerly winds and its limited control capability, the airship deviated from its intended course,” the ministry said.
It added: “China regrets that the airship strayed into the United States by mistake due to force majeure. China will continue to maintain communication with the US side to properly handle this accident.”
“Force majeure” refers to a violation caused by forces beyond a party’s control.
It was not immediately clear whether the Chinese explanation would satisfy the Biden administration or congressional Republicans who have urged the administration to take a strong stand over the incident.
Pentagon officials disclosed on Thursday that they detected an “intelligence-gathering balloon, most certainly launched by (China)” over Montana, a state that is home to about 150 intercontinental ballistic missile silos.
The balloon flew over Alaska’s Aleutian Islands and through Canada before appearing over the city of Billings in Montana on Wednesday.
A senior US defence official said fighter jets, including F-22s, were scrambled in case the White House ordered the object to be shot down.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry earlier said “verification is under way”, adding that “until the facts are clear, making conjectures and hyping up the issue will not help to properly resolve it”.
“China is a responsible country and always abides strictly by international law. We have no intention of violating the territory or airspace of any sovereign country,” said ministry spokesman Mao Ning at a regular news briefing in Beijing. “We hope both sides can handle the matter calmly and prudently.”
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III held a meeting about the balloon with senior defense officials while he was in the Philippines, and President Joe Biden “was briefed and asked for military options,” a Pentagon official told reporters.
Volatile strains have built up over Taiwan; technological barriers and bans; human rights issues in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, and resulting American sanctions on Chinese officials; and, most broadly, over a growing military rivalry across Asia and the Pacific.
After the balloon news broke, a chorus of Republican politicians in Washington urged the Biden administration to take a tougher approach to China.
“China’s brazen disregard for US sovereignty is a destabilising action that must be addressed, and President Biden cannot be silent,” House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy said in a statement on Twitter.
Mr McCarthy has said that as speaker he plans to visit Taiwan — the democratically ruled island that Beijing claims as its territory — which could prompt China to hold another round of intimidating military manoeuvres near the island, similar to the ones it held last year when Mr McCarthy’s predecessor, Mrs Nancy Pelosi, visited Taiwan.
Pentagon officials have refused to disclose many details about the balloon, including its size and features, making it harder for outside experts to assess its military intent and value.
“We did assess that it was large enough to cause damage from the debris field if we downed it over an area,” a senior defence official told reporters. REUTERS
