Beijing Slams US for Alleging That Chinese Balloon Had Intelligence Gathering Capabilities

BEIJING (Sputnik) - On Thursday, Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder stated that the balloon did not collect intelligence information while flying over the United States, although it had "intelligence collection capabilities."

Washington's claim that a Chinese balloon shot down in the US airspace in February was designed to collect intelligence information is false, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Friday.

"To call it a 'spy balloon' that collected intelligence is nothing but a false accusation," Mao told a briefing.

The entrance of the balloon in the US airspace was an accident caused by force majeure, the diplomat added.

In February, the United States shot down the Chinese balloon over the Atlantic Ocean after it crossed the mainland. US media reported that the balloon collected intelligence from several military sites. China, in turn, has repeatedly rejected the allegations saying its balloon was a civilian airship engaged in scientific research that veered off course.