China says US balloons breached airspace at least 10 times

China's overseas ministry says the US has flown balloons into its airspace much than 10 times successful the past year.

It comes aft the US connected 4 February changeable down a suspected spy balloon implicit its airspace - which China said was 1 of its upwind balloons gone astray.

Relations betwixt the 2 countries person since deteriorated. In caller days, the US has besides changeable down a fig of different unidentified objects.

Questioned connected Monday, Beijing said the US had made galore airspace breaches.

"It's not uncommon arsenic good for the US to illegally participate the airspace of different countries," said overseas ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin astatine a regular property briefing.

"Since past twelvemonth alone, US balloons person illegally flown supra China much than 10 times without immoderate support from Chinese authorities."

"The archetypal happening the US broadside should bash is commencement with a cleanable slate, acquisition immoderate self-reflection, alternatively of smearing and accusing China," helium added.

He said Beijing had responded to the incursions successful a "responsible and professional" manner.

"If you privation to cognize much astir US high-altitude balloons illegally entering China's airspace, I suggest you notation to the US side," helium said.

Chinese state-affiliated media reported implicit the play that an unidentified flying entity had been spotted disconnected the country's eastbound coast, with the subject preparing to sprout it down.

The White House denied Beijing's accusation that it sent balloons implicit China to behaviour surveillance, with National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson calling the claims "false" connected Twitter.

The archetypal balloon incidental led US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to cancel a planned travel to Beijing. The apical diplomat called China's alleged high-altitude spying "unacceptable and irresponsible".

On Sunday, the US ordered an unmanned "octagonal structure" to beryllium downed successful Michigan adjacent the Canadian borderline - the 4th entity to beryllium taken retired successful 8 days.

Fighter pilots besides changeable down smaller unidentified objects implicit Alaska connected 10 February and bluish Canada connected 11 February.

Mr Wang said helium had "no knowing of [these different objects]".

"But what we privation to archer everyone present is that the US' predominant firing of precocious missiles utilized to onslaught down unidentified flying objects is an overreaction of excessive force," helium said.

A US subject commander, General Glen VanHerck, said that determination was nary denotation of immoderate menace from the latest object.

He said it could beryllium a "gaseous benignant of balloon" oregon "some benignant of a propulsion system" - adding helium could not regularisation retired that the objects were extra-terrestrials.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the authorities would bash "whatever it takes" to support the state harmless from the menace of spy balloons.

"We person thing called the speedy absorption alert unit which involves Typhoon planes, which are kept connected 24/7 readiness to constabulary our airspace, which is incredibly important," helium added.