China says more than 10 US balloons flew in its airspace

China on February 13 said more than 10 US high-altitude balloons have flown in its airspace during the past year without its permission, following Washington’s accusation that Beijing operates a fleet of surveillance balloons around the world.

The United States denied that it operates any surveillance balloons over China, The Associated Press reports.

The Chinese allegation came after the US shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon that had crossed from Alaska to South Carolina, sparking a new crisis in bilateral relations that have spiralled to their lowest level in decades.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin gave no details about the alleged US balloons, how they had been dealt with or whether they had government or military links.

“It is also common for US balloons to illegally enter the airspace of other countries,” Wang said at a daily briefing. “Since last year, US high-altitude balloons have illegally flown over China’s airspace more than 10 times without the approval of Chinese authorities.”

Wang said the US should “first reflect on itself and change course, rather than smear and instigate a confrontation.”

China says the balloon shot down by the US was an unmanned airship made for meteorological research that had been blown off course. It has accused the US of overreacting by shooting it down and threatened to take unspecified action in response.

In Washington, National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said on February 13 that any claim that the US government operates surveillance balloons over China is false.