Chinese spy balloon changes course

• Chinese spy balloon is now flying eastward at about 60,000 feet (18,300 meters) over the central United States.
• China’s claim that the balloon was only a civilian airship.
• The Pentagon anticipates the balloon to remain in US airspace for a few more days.

Washington: The US military said on Friday that a Chinese spy balloon has changed course and is now flying eastward at about 60,000 feet (18,300 meters) over the central United States, demonstrating maneuverability, in the latest twist in a spying saga that has forced US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to postpone a visit to China.

The disclosure concerning the agility of the surveillance balloon directly contradicts China’s claim that the balloon was only a civilian airship that had wandered into US territory after being blown off course.

“We know this is a Chinese (surveillance) balloon and that it has the ability to maneuver,” Air Force Brigadier General Patrick Ryder told a news briefing at the Pentagon, declining to say precisely how it was powered or who in China was controlling its flight path.

According to American officials, US President Joe Biden decided against firing down the balloon as it soared over Montana on Wednesday due to military worries about the anticipated distribution of debris.

The Pentagon anticipates the balloon to remain in US airspace for a few more days, according to Ryder, who declined to speculate on what alternatives the US military might develop during that time, as speculation circulated about whether Biden could still order the balloon to be destroyed or captured.

Ryder claimed the US military would not disclose where the balloon was over the central United States, citing a desire to avoid an “hour-by-hour” cycle of updates. People in any individual U.S. state, he continued, could stare up into the sky if they chose to.

“The public certainly has the ability to look up in the sky and see where the balloon is,” Ryder said.

Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas stated the spy balloon was over his state’s northeastern region and that his team was in contact with law enforcement personnel.

“I condemn any attempts the Chinese make to spy on Americans. President Biden must protect the sovereignty of the U.S.,” Marshall posted on Twitter.

Ryder went on to say that the balloon presented no danger to persons on the ground.

He commented as political ramifications from the Chinese balloon’s presence over the United States grew.

The cancellation of Blinken’s trip, which was coordinated in November by Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, is a setback for those on both sides who saw it as a long-overdue opportunity to repair an increasingly strained relationship. The last time a US secretary of state visited was in 2017.

When speaking about the economy on Friday morning, Biden avoided queries about the balloon.

Chinese spy satellites have identical sensors to what US officials suspect is on the spy balloon, raising doubts about why Beijing would undertake such a bold gesture on the day of a significant diplomatic event.

Officials say the Chinese spy balloon has picked a flight path that will take it over a number of important facilities. Military bases, such as those in Montana, which house intercontinental ballistic missile silos, could be one such location.

The airport near Billings, Montana, issued a ground stop on Wednesday as the military mobilized assets, including F-22 fighter jets, in case Biden ordered the balloon to be shot down.

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