Asia

Beijing Says Speculation Related to 'Spy Balloon' Over US Inappropriate

BEIJING (Sputnik) - Speculation on the topic of a "spy balloon" allegedly detected over the United States will not contribute to the resolution of the issue until all the details are established, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Friday.
Sputnik
The US Defense Department detected a high altitude surveillance balloon late on Thursday, specifying that the object was traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and did not pose any threat. Pentagon Press Secretary Patrick Ryder said that the US had "very high confidence" that this was a "Chinese spy balloon."
Military
Pentagon: Suspected Chinese Surveillance Balloon Being Tracked Over Northern US
"I want to emphasize that speculation and fuss until the facts are determined is not the proper way to resolve [the issue]," Mao told a briefing.
Beijing is currently investigating the incident and hopes to work with Washington to "calmly and prudently resolve this issue," the spokeswoman added.
Earlier in the day, US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy accused China of disregarding the country's sovereignty and requested a "Gang of Eight briefing," a briefing on classified intelligence for a set of eight leaders within the US Congress.
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