The United States government is reportedly monitoring an alleged high-altitude Chinese spy balloon flying above the continental USA, according to US military sources.
The China spy balloon has been tracked by the US government for many days as it traveled across the northern USA, according to Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, a spokesman for the Pentagon, according to CNN.
Brig. Gen. Ryder added that the China spy balloon was flying at an "altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground."
An unnamed US defense official said that top military officials advised President Joe Biden not to shoot it down because the debris could endanger people below the ground.
A US Intel official said this is not the first China spy balloon to fly over the USA, but it looks to be acting strangely.
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The official noted that the balloon has a "distinguished" feature as it seems to be staying longer this time than in past occurrences.
On Wednesday, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and US Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman General Mark Milley assessed the situation. While this was happening, Austin was in the Philippines, BBC reported.
The two allies agreed Thursday that the Philippines would allow the US to deploy military installations on the southern South China Sea border near Taiwan, as concerns about China's territorial aggression in the region continue to increase, per a previous HNGN report.
The Chinese government in Beijing did not right away refute the claim that the spy balloon was theirs, Sky News reported.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that Beijing is verifying the details of the matter, and hoping that China and the USA "can handle the matter calmly and prudently."
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