Second spy balloon noticed over Latin America, Defence Sec Antony Blinken postpones his Beijing go to whilst China calls it a ‘climate balloon’

A day after a spy balloon was noticed flying over Montana within the United States, one other spy balloon has been noticed flying within the skies of Latin America, Pentagon confirmed on Friday.

In a press release, Brigadier General Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesperson stated, “We are seeing reports of a balloon transiting Latin America. We now assess it as another Chinese surveillance balloon.”

Earlier, Canada’s Department of National Defence stated that it’s monitoring the potential second incident and is working with the US authorities to trace the high-altitude Chinese surveillance balloon. 

“A high-altitude surveillance balloon was detected and its movements are being actively tracked by NORAD,” learn a press release from the Canadian Department of National Defence. “Canadians are safe and Canada is taking steps to ensure the security of its airspace, including the monitoring of a potential second incident,” the Canadian Department of National Defence stated in a press release. 

Meanwhile, US Secretary of Defense Antony Blinken postponed his go to to Beijing in response to a separate high-altitude Chinese balloon intruding into US airspace.

The presence of this surveillance balloon in US airspace is a blatant violation of US sovereignty and worldwide regulation, Blinken stated in South Korea on Friday after talking with Wang Yi, China’s high diplomat.

However, in response to Blinken, he knowledgeable Wang that “the United States is committed to diplomatic engagement with China and that I plan to visit Beijing when circumstances allow.”

“Getting the surveillance asset out of our airspace is the first step. That’s what we’re focused on,” Blinken informed the media.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed a go to to China after a suspected Chinese spy balloon was tracked flying throughout the United States in what Washington known as a ‘clear violation’ of U.S. sovereignty https://t.co/Y7LQWgwttR pic.twitter.com/w1uSi242ra

— Reuters (@Reuters) February 4, 2023

Interestingly, China has claimed that the spy balloon is definitely a climate balloon that had blown off beam.

China’s international ministry stated in a press release late on Friday that it might keep up a correspondence with the US to handle the surprising state of affairs appropriately.

“The Chinese airship is a civilian device used for in meteorological and other scientific research. The airship deviated off track due to the influence of westerly winds and its limited control capacity,” it learn.

“China regrets that the airship strayed into the United States by mistake due to force majeure. To properly handle this accident, China will maintain communication with the US  side,” the assertion added.