US tracks Chinese spy balloon over its territory for days

The United States has been tracking a balloon that has been flying over its territory for several days. It is believed to be gathering intelligence and was launched by the People's Republic of China. This was reported by the US Department of Defence.

Here's What We Know

Air Force chief Pat Ryder said the spy balloon was high and posed no threat to civil aviation. He said the US government had taken steps to protect sensitive information.

The US contacted China to convey to the authorities of the Celestial Empire the seriousness of this issue. The military recommended continuing surveillance of the balloon rather than shooting it down, because if the balloon were destroyed, its debris could put U.S. civilians at risk.

The US military said it had already seen Chinese balloons over the country's territory. This time, however, the balloon has been over the continental US for longer than before.

Information about the balloon was published on the US Department of Defense website on February 2. The text says that "yesterday", i.e. 1 February, it flew over the state of Montana.

Source: Pentagon