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Axios
Axios
World

China claims balloon over U.S. is "civilian airship" that blew off course

China Pentagon United States

China's Foreign Ministry confirmed on Friday that the high-altitude balloon in U.S. airspace being tracked by the Pentagon originated in China but claimed it is a civilian airship for "mainly meteorological" purposes.

Why it matters: A senior U.S. defense official alleged with "very high confidence" that the balloon is flying over sensitive areas to collect information, according to AP.

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