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US sights Chinese spy balloon

The United States has spotted a Chinese spy balloon over the north-west of the country, according to the Pentagon.

Canada also reports a possible incident. China warns against hasty speculation.

The US military has spotted a Chinese spy balloon over northern US. The Pentagon said the balloon was spotted on Wednesday over the state of Montana in the northwest of the United States.

The trajectory of the balloon is closely followed. He is still over the United States. Shooting him down was considered, but decided against due to the danger of falling debris.

Pentagon: Balloon safe from China

After the discovery of the balloon, the government took immediate action to prevent the disclosure of classified information, Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said. One is sure that the balloon comes from China.

According to the Wall Street Journal, 150 Minuteman III ICBMs equipped with nuclear warheads are stored at a US Air Force base in northern Montana. Such locations are usually shielded, the newspaper reported, citing a senior defense official. The balloon’s spy systems still provide “limited value” compared to information that China can gather with low-Earth satellites.

Similar incidents have occurred in the past, the Pentagon said. The difference this time is that the balloon stays longer than usual over the United States. The balloon poses no military threat or danger to people on the ground, spokesman Ryder said. The balloon is also harmless to airplanes because of its high flight altitude.

The US is in contact with China about the incident.

Canada reports ‘possible second incident’

According to the government, Canada is working with the United States to track the spy balloon and is also reviewing a “possible second incident.” The balloon had been noticed and “its movements are being actively tracked,” the Department of Defense said. Everything is being done to ensure the safety of Canadian airspace. Canadian intelligence worked with the US.

China warns against speculation

China’s government says it is following reports about the Chinese spy balloon and warns against hasty speculation. “We collect and check the facts,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told the press in Beijing. “We hope that both sides will treat the matter with a cool head.” It is not helpful to speculate or hype the matter until it is clear what happened.

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