The Pentagon
The Department of Defense rejected China’s explanation that the balloon was meant for innocent research purposes. In a statement, a DoD official told CNN, “We are confident that this high-altitude surveillance balloon belongs to the [People’s Republic of China]. Instances of this activity have been observed over the past several years, including prior to this administration.”
The official said the military was “taking steps nevertheless to protect against foreign intelligence collection of sensitive information. We are also tracking what abilities it could have in gaining insights, and continue to monitor the balloon as it was over the continental United States.”
