Joe Biden to speak about balloons, mysterious objects: Sources

• President Joe Biden plans to make his most extensive remarks yet about a high-altitude Chinese balloon.
• The US claims the Chinese balloon was used for surveillance.
• Since an American fighter jet shot down the 200-foot Chinese balloon on Feb. 4.

President Joe Biden plans to make his most extensive remarks yet about a high-altitude Chinese balloon and three other objects shot down by US fighter jets on Thursday, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.

According to the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the speech was scheduled for Thursday. The timing was unclear, but Biden, 80, is scheduled to have a physical examination at Walter Reed Hospital in the morning.

Legislators have pressed Biden to speak more extensively about the recent spate of flyovers by unidentified objects, which has perplexed many Americans.

He has made few public comments about the situation, instead relying on White House officials to do so.

The US claims the Chinese balloon was used for surveillance, while Beijing claims it was a weather balloon.

When asked about Biden‘s expected remarks, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry reiterated on Thursday that the downed balloon was a “unmanned civilian airship,” and that its flight into US airspace was a “isolated” incident.

The United States “should be willing to meet China in the middle, manage differences, and appropriately handle isolated, unexpected incidents to avoid misunderstandings and misjudgments; and promote the return of U.S.-China relations to a healthy and stable development track,” spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a regular press conference.

Since an American fighter jet shot down the 200-foot Chinese balloon on Feb. 4, three other objects have been downed over hard-to-reach areas – two in the frozen North and one whose debris plummeted into Lake Huron.

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