Chinese 'spy' balloon over US: Pentagon says it is watching closely

The Pentagon has said it is closely watching a Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon flying over the US but decided not to shoot it down due to safety reasons, defence officials said on Thursday.  

In a statement, Pentagon said that the balloon has been closely watched since it entered US airspace. The balloon has been flying over the northern US. Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said it was “traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground”. 

“The balloon is currently travelling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground,” the Pentagon said in a statement. 

Pentagon has noted that it has been monitoring the balloon by several methods including manned aircraft. At present, the balloon is seen over Montana, where the US has some of its silo-based nuclear missiles. As a precaution, flights out of Billings Logan airport were suspended on Wednesday, a CNN report said.  

A senior defence official said the Pentagon is very confident that the Chinese balloon was flying over “sensitive sites” to collect information. 

“We are confident that this high-altitude surveillance balloon belongs to the [People’s Republic of China],” the senior defense official was quoted by CNN. “Instances of this activity have been observed over the past several years, including prior to this administration.” 

He further added that though the balloon is flying over “a number of sensitive sites, “it does not present a significant intelligence-gathering risk”.  

The balloon is assessed to have “limited additive value” from an intelligence collection perspective, the official added. 

In the past, spy balloons have flown over the US several times in recent years, but this balloon appeared to be lingering longer than before, the official said. 

“The US has been taking steps nevertheless to protect against foreign intelligence collection of sensitive information. We are also tracking what abilities it could have in gaining insights, and continue to monitor the balloon as it was over the continental United States,” the official told CNN.  

The ‘spy’ balloon’s presence over Montana comes at a very sensitive time when US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was scheduled to go to Beijing this weekend for sensitive discussions. The trip, which was meant to follow up on President Joe Biden’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping last year, was never announced officially, though talks were on and both countries have been looking forward to the meeting.  

Earlier, Biden declared China “America’s most consequential geopolitical challenge” and competition between the two global superpowers is intense. Tensions have flared in recent years over Taiwan, China’s human rights record, and its military activities in the South China Sea.