Washington, February 4 (EFE).– The United States assured this that China has lied saying that the «spy balloon» that has flown over the country in recent days, shot down today, was a meteorological device and described the fact as «an intolerable violation» of US sovereignty.
“The balloon never sent military or physical threats to the American people, but its intrusion into our airspace for several days was an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty,” said a high-ranking official of the Defense Department in a conversation with the media.
The Pentagon announced this past Thursday that it was following the movements of a Chinese “spy balloon” that was flying over the state of Montana (northeast US), where one of the three existing nuclear missile silo fields on US territory is located. .
China admitted on Friday that the balloon belongs to it, although it assured that “it is a civil airship used for research purposes, mainly meteorological.”
“We spoke directly with Chinese officials through multiple channels, but instead of addressing their intrusion into our airspace, the PRC gave an explanation that lacked credibility,” the official noted.
The United States, he added, is certain that the balloon “was seeking to monitor sensitive military sites.” “Its route over the United States, close to many potentially sensitive sites, contradicts the explanation of the government of the People’s Republic of China,” added the official, who explained that this “is not the only surveillance balloon of the PRC that operates in the Western Hemisphere”.
In fact, he recalled, it has been observed that there is a balloon transiting through Central and South America, which “is another Chinese surveillance balloon.”
All of these balloons “are part of a PRC balloon fleet, developed to conduct surveillance operations, which have also violated the sovereignty of other countries,” an activity that is carried out “under the leadership of the People’s Liberation Army.” .
The US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J. Austin, confirmed this Saturday that the United States, by an order given by President Joe Biden last Wednesday, has “successfully” shot down the Chinese “spy balloon” with two military aircraft at sea , off the coast of South Carolina.
“We have notified the People’s Republic of China about our action and we are informing allies and partners,” explained the Defense source, who explained that the remains of the balloon and the devices it carried are being collected for study.
In fact, he assured, the decision to wait a few days to shoot it down at sea, in addition to being necessary to protect the citizens who inhabit the area, “was beneficial” to learn more about the device and its objectives. EFE
