«Chinese “spy” balloon flies over an American nuclear site», alarm at the Pentagon. Beijing: "It's for weather research"

A China balloon spotted in the skies over the United States.

The sighting, reported by the US media, occurred on the eve of Secretary of State Antony Blinken 's visit to Beijing for high-level talks.

A spy? It is, it is underlined, one of the "most aggressive intelligence-gathering maneuvers in recent years by the People's Republic".

The Pentagon, underlines the American press again, is following and monitoring the Chinese reconnaissance balloon, which would also have flown over some American nuclear sites and also crossed the skies of Canada.

"Canadians are safe, and Canada is taking steps to ensure the safety of its airspace, including monitoring for a potential second crash," the Defense Department said in a statement.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry specified that the balloon is not a spy, but a means "for civilian use for meteorological and scientific research".

(Unioneonline/lf)