China has admitted that the hot air balloon spotted over Latin America also belongs to it

The Chinese government has acknowledged that the hot air balloon spotted over South America on Friday belongs to it.

The BBC writes about it.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said the balloon was intended for civilian use. He deviated from the route because he lost his course. Mao told reporters that the balloon had "significantly deviated" from its intended route, citing the balloonʼs "limited maneuverability" and weather conditions.

"The unmanned airship in question came from China, is of a civilian nature and is used for flight tests. China is a responsible country and has always strictly followed international law to inform and properly work with all stakeholders without posing any threat to any country,” she added.

Over the weekend, the Colombian Air Force announced that on February 3, an object "with characteristics similar to a balloon" was spotted in the countryʼs airspace at an altitude of more than 16 kilometers. The military added that it tracked the object until it left airspace, adding that it did not pose a threat to national security. According to media reports, the balloon also flew over Venezuela and Costa Rica.

• On February 2, a Chinese reconnaissance balloon was spotted over the American state of Montana in the area where secret missile facilities are located, but they did not shoot it down. Such devices were previously recorded over Hawaii and Guam. China said the bullet was an unmanned scientific airship that ended up in US airspace due to force majeure. On February 4, the US military shot down a Chinese balloon off the coast of South Carolina and is looking for its wreckage for research.
• The incident strained relations between the US and China. Washington said that China thereby showed that it disregards the sovereignty of the United States. For its part, Beijing urged Washington not to rush to conclusions about the bulletʼs espionage functions.