Chinese Foreign Ministry calls US claims over spy flight 'information warfare,' insists it was harmless
The Pentagon says it is '100% clear' the Chinese spy flight was not for 'civilian purposes'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}China continued to insist the balloon shot down off the South Carolina coast on Saturday was a "civilian meteorological airship" during a daily briefing on Thursday, accusing the U.S. of "information warfare."
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning repeated the country's claim that the large unmanned balloon accidentally blew off course and the U.S. government overreacted by shooting it down, according to the Associated Press.
"It is irresponsible," Mao said at the briefing. "The latest accusations may be part of the U.S. side’s information warfare against China."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}U.S. officials have repeatedly dismissed China's claims, and agents from the FBI and Naval Criminal Investigative Service are transporting the balloon's recovered debris for further processing.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning gestures during a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing. (AP Photo/Liu Zheng, File)
On Wednesday, the Pentagon said the balloon was part of a program involving a number of such airships operated by China for "several years."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said similar balloons that passed over U.S. territory on four occasions during the Trump and Biden administrations were not immediately identified as surveillance balloons, but "subsequent intelligence analysis" led to confirmation they were part of a Chinese spying effort.
He added that the previous passages have allowed officials to learn "a lot more" about the program.
"I can assure you this was not for civilian purposes," Ryder said. "We are 100% clear about that."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}US OFFICIALS BRIEFED NEARLY 150 FOREIGN DIPLOMATS IN 40 NATIONS ON CHINESE SPY FLIGHT: REPORT
In this photo provided by Chad Fish, a large balloon drifts above the Atlantic Ocean, just off the coast of South Carolina, with a fighter jet and its contrail seen below it, on Saturday, Feb. 4. (Chad Fish via AP)
Members of Congress were briefed on the Chinese balloon surveillance program by top administration officials in classified sessions on Wednesday and Thursday.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed the U.S. has briefed dozens of countries on the program, which officials said has been active over five continents.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}At a news conference with visiting NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Blinken said the U.S. was "not the only target."
He also spoke to Stoltenberg about the importance of combating the "systemic and tactical challenges" China poses to the alliance.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken shake hands after a press conference in the Benjamin Franklin Room of the State Department in Washington, DC, on Feb. 8, 2023. (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}After becoming aware of the Chinese spy balloon, Blinken canceled a visit to Beijing planned for this week. The meeting was intended to mend the spiraling bilateral relations with the country, which are now at the lowest level in decades.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.