The US government has been monitoring the balloon as it travelled above the northern United States for several days, according to Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder.
Speaking anonymously, a senior US defence official revealed that President Joe Biden had been persuaded not to shoot it down because of concerns that the debris could endanger those on the ground.
The official stated that despite the balloon's current flight route taking it over "a lot of sensitive facilities," it does not pose a serious risk to intelligence gathering. From the standpoint of intelligence gathering, the balloon is deemed to have "minimal incremental value," the official continued.
According to another defence official, the US believes Chinese spy satellites in low Earth orbit can provide comparable or better intelligence, which limits the usefulness of whatever information Beijing may obtain from the three-bus-sized high-altitude balloon.
The balloon's presence in the US comes at a crucial time as Secretary of State Antony Blinken is anticipated to visit to Beijing in the coming days, as US national security authorities have repeatedly warned about Chinese espionage attempts.
Biden has declared China “America’s most consequential geopolitical challenge” and competition between the two global superpowers is intense.
Biden has declared China “America’s most consequential geopolitical challenge” and competition between the two global superpowers is intense.
"China is an ethical nation. We follow international law in whatever we do. We don't intend to trespass into the airspace of other nations. We sincerely hope that all parties involved will approach the situation calmly.
A senior defence official stated on Thursday that the US "will have options to deal with this balloon" if the risk level changes.