Key takeaways:
- The United States is currently tracking a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that has been spotted over U.S. airspace.
- The Pentagon has decided not to shoot it down due to the risks of harm for people on the ground.
- Chinese surveillance satellites with a far greater capacity for espionage are known to hover in space over the U.S.
The United States is currently tracking a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that has been spotted over U.S. airspace for a few days. The Pentagon has decided not to shoot it down due to the risks of harm for people on the ground, officials said Thursday.
A senior defense official told Pentagon reporters that the U.S. has “very high confidence” that the balloon is of Chinese origin and is being used to collect information. The balloon is reportedly the size of three buses.
The news of the suspected Chinese spy balloon comes at a critical time, as Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to hold talks in Beijing in the next few days. The Pentagon reasoned that the balloon was flying well above commercial and military air lanes and was not a major intelligence threat.
This is not the first time the U.S. has tracked one of Beijing’s balloons during this and other periods. Chinese surveillance satellites with a far greater capacity for espionage are known to hover in space over the U.S.
The Pentagon has not released any further information on the balloon or its purpose. It is unclear if the balloon is still in U.S. airspace or if it has been removed.
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