The United States and Canada detected an observation balloon flying over the airspace of the two countries, with Washington saying it was quite certain it was a Chinese-made device.
The Pentagon decided not to shoot it down due to the risk of hitting people on the ground, US officials said on Thursday. The balloon was spotted in US airspace for two days, and the discovery creates additional tension in US-China relations.
A Defense Department spokesman told reporters that the US was “fully confident” that it was a Chinese high-altitude balloon that flew over important locations to gather intelligence.
According to US authorities, quoted by Reuters, the device was discovered a few days ago and the balloon is being monitored by US manned military aircraft.