After a similar gadget was shot down by the US over the weekend, China confirmed on Monday that a balloon recognized by Washington and Bogota hovering over Latin America is indeed Chinese.
A second suspected Chinese surveillance balloon was reportedly spotted throughout Latin America, according to the Pentagon on Friday.
Then, Colombia’s air force announced that it had discovered and “monitored till it exited the national air space” an item with “characteristics similar to those of a balloon.”
According to the air force, investigations are being carried out in collaboration with other nations and organizations “to establish the origins of the object.”
The object was “from China,” according to Beijing’s foreign ministry, and it was “of a civilian nature and utilised for flight experiments.”
According to spokeswoman Mao Ning, “affected by meteorological forces in addition to its restricted agility, the airship veered substantially from its anticipated trajectory, and mistakenly entered Latin American and Caribbean airspace.”
She continued, “China is a responsible nation and has always scrupulously adhered to international law.
“We are dealing responsibly, have spoken with the necessary parties, and pose no threat to any nation.”
As a result of the discovery of the other balloon over the United States, US Secretary of State Antony Blicken’s scheduled Sunday arrival in Beijing was canceled.
China expressed its outrage over the shooting down of the balloon on Sunday, claiming it was an unmanned weather surveillance aircraft that had deviated from its intended path.