US ‘going to take care of’ Chinese ‘spy balloon’, Biden says after new sighting
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The US is “going to take care of” a suspected Chinese spy balloon flying over its airspace, Joe Biden has said.
The US president was speaking after the balloon was spotted again – this time over North Carolina.
Mr Biden was asked whether the US would shoot down the high-altitude balloon, which is suspected to carry out surveillance activity. But he did not elaborate on what was planned.
According to sources by The AP news agency, the president is considering a plan to shoot down the balloon once it is above the Atlantic Ocean, where the remnants could potentially be recovered.
The discovery of the aircraft has stirred tensions and a diplomatic row between China and the US.
The US claims the craft is a suspected spy balloon and says it has committed a “clear violation” of its sovereignty.
A visit to China by US secretary of state Antony Blinken, during which he was to meet President Xi Jinping, was postponed following the sighting.
China insisted it is used for meteorological and other scientific research, and had been blown off course.
The contradicting lines from Beijing and Washington have created a void of uncertainty now being filled with theories, with some experts questioning why China would send it for reconnaissance, given that any intelligence gains from the craft would likely be extremely limited.
Others have said it could be a deliberate effort to embarrass or provoke the US, by showing how easily American airspace can be entered.
Its latest sighting comes after Mr Blinken spoke with senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi about what had happened.
Beijing said they discussed how to deal with accidental incidents in a calm and professional manner.
Also on Friday, the US defence department said the balloon poses “no physical or military threat” to civilians, and there is no risk of any nuclear or radioactive material on board.
Military leaders decided against shooting it out of the sky due to safety risk from falling debris.
Read more:
What are ‘spy balloons’ and what is their role?
The puzzling theories behind China’s ‘spy balloon’
The object is believed to have flown over the Aleutian Islands, off the coast of Alaska, and through Canada before entering the US earlier this week.
It is operating at 60,000ft and is manoeuvrable, the Pentagon has said.
