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."
"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.