The Pentagon considers it dangerous to shoot down a reconnaissance balloon allegedly belonging to China
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The US is tracking what it claims is a Chinese high-altitude reconnaissance balloon over the continental United States, Defense Department officials said Thursday, and the discovery could add further tension to the already strained US-China relationship.
Pentagon spokesman Brig. General Patrick Ryder said the U.S. government tracked the balloon for days as it flew over the northern United States, adding that it was “flying at an altitude well above commercial air traffic levels and does not pose a military or physical threat to people.” on the ground”.
Senior military officials have advised President Joe Biden not to shoot it down due to concerns that the debris could pose a safety risk to people on the ground.
“We are confident that this high-altitude reconnaissance balloon belongs to [Китайской Народной Республике]”, — said a senior official of the Ministry of Defense. “Instances of this activity have been observed over the past few years, including before this administration came to power.”
While the balloon’s current flight path is over “a number of secret locations,” the official said it does not pose a significant risk to intelligence gathering.
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