Regretting the entry of the Chinese airship into US airspace which Washington labelled as a "surveillance" balloon, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China issued a clarification, saying that it is a civilian airship used for research, mainly meteorological, purposes.
"A high-altitude surveillance balloon was detected and its movements are being actively tracked by North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Canadians are safe and Canada is taking steps to ensure the security of its airspace, including the monitoring of a potential second inciden
Responding to a media query about whether the balloon is from China or from any other country, a senior defence official said, "Yes, so, I mean, it is a surveillance balloon. And not to be -- I'm not trying to be a wise guy. But the goal is surveillance. And clearly, they're trying to fly