BLOWING UP

China Says U.S. Balloons Flew in Its Airspace 10+ Times Since 2022

A foreign ministry spokesperson claimed the flights are “nothing rare.”

American balloons flew over China at least 10 times since the beginning of 2022, a Beijing official said at a briefing on Monday. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said: “It is nothing rare for U.S. balloons to illegally enter other country’s airspace.” He added: “The U.S. needs to reflect upon itself and change its wrong practice. We reserve the right to take necessary means to deal with relevant incidents.” Wenbin’s allegations come after the Department of Defense announced Sunday that a flying object was shot out of the skies of North America for the third time in three days, following the downing of a suspected Chinese spy balloon last week. Chinese state media on Sunday reported that “relevant departments” were preparing to shoot down a “UFO” over the waters off the port city of Qingdao—home to a major Chinese naval base—but Wenbin would not provide more information about the incident at Monday’s briefing.