There is also a spy balloon from China flying over Colombia – an excuse that does not really convince So far, at least 24 people have died in forest fires in Chile

A large balloon discovered over Colombia also comes from China. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Nin confirmed the origin to the press in Beijing on Monday. He had made an “attempt to fly”, served “civil purposes” and was on the wrong track. Similar to the case of the alleged Chinese spy balloon shot down over the US, the spokeswoman said the weather and limited control capabilities caused the balloon to enter the airspace of Latin American countries.

As a responsible country, China has informed the countries concerned and handled the matter appropriately. “We will not pose a threat to other countries, everyone understands that,” said the spokeswoman. China is also in contact with the US government, which is being asked to handle the process of ballooning over the US in a “professional, calm and appropriate manner”. It was an “isolated, unexpected incident” caused by “force majeure”. The United States was told what China had discovered.

The spokeswoman reiterated that the balloon over the United States was “civil” and served meteorological and other scientific purposes. Due to the westerly wind drift and limited sailing possibilities, he had deviated far from the intended course. The launch was an “overreaction” by the United States.

The US government believes the Chinese balloon was intended to spy on key military installations. After days of observation, US fighter jets finally shot down the balloon with a missile off the Atlantic coast on Sunday. (aeg/sda/dpa)