"I would like to emphasize that before it becomes clear what happened, any deliberate speculation or amplification will not help address the matter," the Chinese spokesman said, adding: "China is a responsible country, we act in accordance with international law. We have no intention of violating the airspace of other countries. We hope that the parties concerned will deal with the matter calmly.”

The Pentagon announced on Thursday that it was tracking a Chinese spy balloon flying at high altitudes over the United States, as Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder said that the balloon tracking operation had been going on for several days, making its way over the northern United States, adding that the US military decided not to shoot it down.

“The balloon currently flies at a much higher altitude than commercial air traffic and does not pose a military or physical threat to people on the ground,” he added.