The Pentagon reported a second alleged Chinese surveillance balloon on Friday night. This time, the colossus will fly over South America, a Pentagon spokesman said American media. The first Chinese balloon, suspected by US authorities to be used for espionage purposes, flies over the mainland to the eastern United States and is closely watched.
The second balloon was already spotted over Colombia and Venezuela on Friday. The Pentagon now confirms the reports and determines “that it is another Chinese surveillance balloon”. China has not yet responded to the report. China’s defense ministry dismissed the first balloon as an accidentally “off-course civil airship” for meteorological research. Washington insists it is a spy balloon.
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The first balloon has been flying over US territory for days and was first spotted over the northern state of Montana. While China has denied the espionage allegations, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the action an “irresponsible act” by China and “a clear violation of US sovereignty and international law.” He said the first priority is to get the balloon out of US airspace.
Blinken was due to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing this weekend, but announced on Friday that he was postponing his visit. It is not yet known if and when he will resume his appointment.