China launches investigation into suspected spy balloon flying over US, ministry says

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Lawrence Richard | Fox News


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China has announced its government is looking into reports that a suspected Chinese spy balloon was discovered flying in U.S. airspace over Montana.

"China is a responsible country and has always strictly abided by international laws, and China has no intention to violate the territory and airspace of any sovereign countries," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning during a daily briefing on Friday.

She also urged U.S. officials and Chinese authorities to proceed "calmly and carefully" amid the investigation.

"As for the balloon, as I’ve mentioned just now, we are looking into and verifying the situation and hope that both sides can handle this together calmly and carefully," Mao added.

The foreign minister said judgment should be withheld "before we have a clear understanding of the facts."

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was scheduled to visit China on Friday, becoming the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit the country since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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His visit comes amid months of tense relations between Beijing and Washington over trade, Taiwan, human rights issues and China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea.

"What I want to emphasize is that before we have a clear understanding of the facts, speculation and sensationalizing will be unhelpful to the proper handling of the issue. As for Blinken’s visit to China, I have no information," Mao said.

Senior U.S. defense officials said the government is closely monitoring the high-altitude surveillance balloon.

"The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now," said Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said during a briefing on Thursday afternoon.

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He added: "The U.S. government, including NORAD, continues to track and monitor it closely. The balloon is currently traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground. Instances of this kind of balloon activity have been observed previously over the past several years. Once the balloon was detected, the U.S. government acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information."

The U.S. government is "confident" the surveillance balloon belongs to the People's Republic of China, a defense official told Fox News. It is also considering bringing it down using military assets.

It is not immediately clear how long the balloon has been in U.S. airspace. The senior defense official said the government has been tracking it for "some time" and that it entered U.S. airspace a "couple of days ago."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Timothy H.J. Nerozzi | Fox News


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Canadian national defense forces are monitoring the Chinese spy balloon detected over Montana and a "potential second incident."

The U.S. government is monitoring a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that has been moving over northern states over the past several days.

The Canadian government has publicly affirmed their country's surveillance of the issue as well.

"A high-altitude surveillance balloon was detected and its movements are being actively tracked by NORAD," read a statement from the Canadian Department of National Defence. "Canadians are safe and Canada is taking steps to ensure the security of its airspace, including the monitoring of a potential second incident."

A senior defense official said that the U.S. government is "confident" that the surveillance balloon belongs to the People's Republic of China.

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The defense official said that the balloon was recently over Montana and that officials were considering bringing it down with military assets, but they decided against doing so because of the risks associated, adding that President Biden was briefed on the situation and asked for military options.

"NORAD, the Canadian Armed Forces, the Department of National Defence, and other partners have been assessing the situation and working in close coordination," the Canadian announcement continued.

Global Affairs Canada remains in contact with U.S. defense and intelligence services on the handling of the Chinese balloon.

The statement concluded, "Canada’s intelligence agencies are working with American partners and continue to take all necessary measures to safeguard Canada’s sensitive information from foreign intelligence threats."

Global Affairs Canada told Fox News Digital that Canada has summoned its Chinese ambassador to a meeting to discuss the situation's developments.

"Yesterday, China’s Ambassador to Canada was summoned by officials at Global Affairs Canada regarding the situation described in the statement issued by the Department of National Defence," Global Affairs Canada spokesperson Charlotte MacLeod told Fox News Digital. "We will continue to vigorously express our position to Chinese officials through multiple channels."

[DemonGeminiX]

Just shoot the fucker down.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Yeah, I don't know what the issue is. If we were flying surveillance over China, and definitely if it was unmanned, they would not even hesitate to shoot it down. Infiltrating another nation's sovereign airspace can always be considered an act of war. A high altitude balloon is far different than trying to use satellites to spy with.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Timothy H.J. Nerozzi | Fox News


The People's Republic of China confirmed Friday that the balloon craft floating over the northern United States is Chinese.

"The airship is from China. It is a civilian airship used for research, mainly meteorological, purposes," a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson confirmed Friday. "Affected by the Westerlies and with limited self-steering capability, the airship deviated far from its planned course."

The spokesperson said China regrets the incident.

The statement continued, "The Chinese side regrets the unintended entry of the airship into US airspace due to force majeure. The Chinese side will continue communicating with the US side and properly handle this unexpected situation caused by force majeure."

This is a developing story.

[deebakes]

we dead

[Godfather]

Just saw they spotted another one in Latin America?! :lol: How many we going to have in the next week or so - let's get the v-cash gambling going :lol:

[deebakes]

:rofl:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

And we just shot it down a little while ago once it cleared land and was over the ocean but still in US airspace.

[Godfather]

RIP little China balloon :(

[Teh One Who Knocks]

https://i.imgur.com/diA7Ekzl.jpeg

[Godfather]

:lol:

[Godfather]

Is that the first recorded air-to-air kill for an F-22 by the way? I love that plane but that would be a funny wiki entry to say a program cost of $30+ billion for 1 dead white balloon (so far :lol: )

[lost in melb.]

Just shoot the fucker down.

Yes sir! :salute:

[lost in melb.]

I just find it ridiculously funny that the Chinese have protested about it being shot down.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Ryan Saavedra - The Daily Wire


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The Chinese foreign ministry responded to the U.S. military shooting down its spy balloon over the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday by claiming without evidence that the balloon was a civilian object and that the country was extremely upset by the action.

An F-22 Raptor took out the spy balloon with one air-to-air A9X sidewinder missile that was fired at an altitude of approximately 58,000 feet. The decision to shoot down the spy balloon came after President Joe Biden allowed the balloon to fly thousands of miles over the continental U.S. during the last several days.

“China expresses its strong dissatisfaction and protest against the US’s use of force to attack civilian unmanned aircraft,” the statement claimed. “The Chinese side has repeatedly informed the US side after verification that the airship is for civilian use and entered the US due to force majeure – it was completely an accident.”

“China clearly asked the US to handle it properly in a calm, professional and restrained manner. A spokesman for the US Department of Defense also stated that the balloon will not pose a military or personal threat to ground personnel,” the statement continued. “China will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of relevant companies, while reserving the right to make further necessary reaction.”

Biden tried to take a victory lap over the weekend after the spy balloon was shot down, claiming that he “ordered the Pentagon to shoot it down on Wednesday as soon as possible,” but that the decision was made to not shoot it down over land because debris could cause damage when falling to the ground.

U.S. officials were reportedly “well aware” that the balloon had crossed into American airspace on January 28 and that it was over Idaho on Tuesday, but decided not to inform the public to not upend Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s diplomatic trip to China.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that the spy balloon was sent to the U.S. “in an attempt to surveil strategic sites in the continental United States.”

Biden faced intense scrutiny from top lawmakers who said that the spy balloon should have been shot down last month when it crossed over Alaska’s Aleutian Islands.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

The real reason it was shot down:

https://i.imgur.com/YXPcsDG.png

[DemonGeminiX]

#FuckChina

[PorkChopSandwiches]

The real reason it was shot down:

https://i.imgur.com/YXPcsDG.png

:lol:

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Is that the first recorded air-to-air kill for an F-22 by the way? I love that plane but that would be a funny wiki entry to say a program cost of $30+ billion for 1 dead white balloon (so far :lol: )

https://i.imgur.com/xl3xFdy.png

Godfather

[Godfather]

I love this so much :lol: Dude has the greatest bar story ever.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Olivia Land - New York Post


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Chinese officials have admitted to owning the second spy balloon spotted over Latin America last week, which they claimed was also blown off-course like the device shot down over US waters.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Monday that the balloon over Latin America was an unmanned research airship that had its course derailed by the weather, the Wall Street Journal reported.

“This airship seriously strayed from its planned route, and accidentally entered the skies over Latin America and the Caribbean,” Mao said, according to the outlet.

She did not address what areas the balloon was supposed to be observing.

Pentagon officials announced the sighting of the Latin American balloon on Friday, one day after they confirmed that a similar object had been detected over sensitive areas of the western US.

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The US balloon subsequently traced a path across the country before it was shot down off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Saturday.

While US officials maintain that the balloons are part of a covert Chinese surveillance operation, Chinese spokespeople insist that the devices are part of a civilian research effort.

After the aircraft was shot down, Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng filed a formal complaint with the American Embassy, calling the incident a “US attack on a Chinese civilian unmanned airship by military force.”

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“What the US has done has dealt a serious blow and damaged the efforts and advances in stabilizing China-US relations since the Bali meeting,” he said, referring to President Biden’s November tête-à-tête with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The second spy balloon elicited little response from Latin American governments, many of which are keen to cement their own trade relationships with Beijing, the WSJ reported.

Colombia’s air force reportedly confirmed that the device traveled over northern parts of the country at a speed of 29 miles per hour, but noted that “this element did not represent a threat to national security and defense.”

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Costa Rica’s foreign ministry also said the second balloon flew over its territory, and that the Chinese embassy in San José had apologized for the incident.

Officials in Mexico, Argentina and Brazil reportedly declined to comment.

News of the Chinese spy balloon comes at a particularly fraught period for US-China relations. In light of the scandal, Secretary of State Antony Blinken indefinitely postponed his plan to visit China early this week.

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“We’ve assessed it would not be conducive or constructive to travel to Beijing right now,” one official told reporters Friday.

“And I think, candidly speaking, in this current environment, I think it would have significantly narrowed the agenda that we would have been able to address.”

China’s confirmation of the second balloon also comes shortly after American Enterprise Institute non-resident fellow Michael Mazza wrote in The Post that the suspicious devices presented a “Sputnik moment” for Biden’s America.

Referring to the Soviet Union’s October 1957 satellite launch, Mazza called on Washington to use the spy balloon incident as fuel for bipartisanship.

“Republicans and Democrats should come together to ensure this moment doesn’t end in a pointless burst of hot air,” he insisted.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Timothy H.J. Nerozzi | Fox News


The People's Republic of China is requesting the return of its surveillance aircraft after the balloon was shot down over the continental United States on Saturday.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning fielded questions Tuesday about the incident, which dominated news cycles and commanded attention from U.S. politicians.

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Asked for additional information regarding the purpose of the spy balloon and reports of similar aircraft making routes through North American and South American airspace, Mao declined.

"The Chinese side has given information about the unmanned airship on several occasions. I don’t have anything to add at the moment," she stated.

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The Pentagon said it "acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information" from the spy platform. But geopolitical experts said there is little reason to believe those efforts were successful as the balloon almost certainly transferred surveillance data over to China as it flew over several military bases.

Asked if China has requested that the debris from the destroyed aircraft be returned, Mao said Tuesday, "The airship does not belong to the U.S. It belongs to China."

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Mao reiterated in her Tuesday press conference the Chinese Communist Party's claim that the balloon was civilian in nature and criticized the U.S. government for not acting in a "calm and professional manner."

"The unmanned Chinese airship is of civilian nature. Its unintended entry into U.S. airspace is entirely unexpected and caused by force majeure. It didn’t pose any threat to any person or to the national security of the U.S. The U.S. should have properly handled such incidents in a calm and professional manner not involving the use of force, yet they decided to do otherwise, which is a clear overreaction."

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The Pentagon said Saturday that three similar spy balloons from China flew over the U.S. during the Trump administration – a claim disputed by former Defense Secretary Mark Esper and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

A senior administration official told Fox News that the existence of the Chinese spy balloons over U.S. territory during the Trump administration was not discovered until the Biden administration took over.

[DemonGeminiX]

They just don't want us to get hard evidence that it was indeed a spying device. To that I say again #FuckChina.

[PorkChopSandwiches]

Yep

[lost in melb.]

gtfo :hand: