US-Canadian alert after monitoring a Chinese spy balloon, and the Pentagon is studying the possibility of shooting it down

The United States has detected a Chinese spy balloon that has penetrated its airspace and is flying over sensitive military sites for the purpose of "gathering information". The Pentagon is studying the possibility of dropping it after assessing the risks.

The Pentagon announced Thursday that it is monitoring the movements of a Chinese spy balloon flying at high altitude over the US mainland and sensitive military sites, saying it poses no direct threat.

This comes a few days before the upcoming visit of US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to China, Washington's biggest adversary.

At the request of President Joe Biden, the Pentagon discussed the possibility of shooting down the balloon, but ultimately decided not to do so because of the risks posed by falling debris to people, a senior defense official who asked not to be named told reporters.

"We have no doubt that the balloon is from China," the official said.

He added, "We are taking steps to protect ourselves in the face of the process of collecting sensitive information," stressing "the limited value of the balloon in the field of intelligence gathering."

And the same source continued: "We considered that the balloon was large enough that the debris could cause damage" if it was dropped in a populated area.

On Friday, the Canadian government spoke of a "possible second incident" after Washington announced the presence of the Chinese spy balloon several days ago over the United States.

"Canadians are safe and Canada is taking measures to ensure the security of its airspace, including monitoring a possible second incident," Canada's Ministry of National Defense said in a statement.

For his part, Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said that the Space Defense Command of the United States and Canada (NORAD) is monitoring the balloon's trajectory.

"The balloon currently flies much higher than commercial air traffic. It does not pose a military or physical threat to those on the ground," he added in a statement.

"Danger"

"It is clear that the intent of this balloon is surveillance, and its current trajectory leads it over a number of sensitive sites," especially air bases and strategic missile stores in the state of Montana in the northwest of the United States, said the first official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The official pointed out that the balloon entered US airspace "several days ago," adding that US intelligence had been tracking it long before that and that this was not the first time the US military had detected a similar breach.

This time, however, the balloon remained in US airspace for a longer period of time.

When informed of the matter, Biden immediately asked his Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, who was in the Philippines on Wednesday, to present him with options, and then the latter held discussions with military leaders in the Pentagon.

According to the same official, fighter jets approached the balloon over Montana.

'destabilizing action'

Washington raised the issue with the Chinese authorities. The US official said: "We informed them of the seriousness of the incident. We made it clear to them that we will do everything necessary to protect our people on our lands."

For his part, Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy denounced Thursday evening the "destabilizing action" by China, which "shamelessly ignores the sovereignty of the United States."

McCarthy called on Biden to "not remain silent," demanding that members of Congress be informed.

Blinken's visit to China, scheduled for Sunday and Monday, is the first visit by a US secretary of state since October 2018.

It comes at a time when the two superpowers are trying to prevent the tension from turning into open conflict.

Among the many contentious issues between the two countries is the Taiwan file, which China claims is an integral part of its territory, as well as the issue of Chinese activities in Southeast Asia.

In the Philippines, Austin signed agreements earlier Thursday aimed at strengthening the US military presence there in the face of a rising China.