US pledges to share data on Chinese spy balloon with allies

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to discuss support for Ukraine, as well as Finland’s and Sweden’s efforts to join the alliance.

He also addressed the diplomatic tensions that ensued after an alleged Chinese surveillance balloon was spotted over the United States last week, writes Al Jazeera.

“Last week, Beijing violated international law and US sovereignty with the presence of a Chinese surveillance balloon in US airspace,” Blinken told reporters on February 9 at a news conference with Stoltenberg.

China, meanwhile, has said the balloon was a “civilian” craft collecting weather data and that it was blown off course.

Blinken said the US would share findings about the balloon, which was shot down off the east coast of the US over the weekend, with US Congress and allies around the world. He added that efforts by the US Navy were ongoing to recover the balloon fragments.

“We’re analysing them to learn more about the [Chinese] surveillance program,” he said, adding that China presented “systemic and tactical challenges” to the NATO alliance.

The meeting comes as the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine approaches. Western governments have responded to the conflict with a significant influx of military assistance for Ukraine and efforts to isolate Russia on the world stage.