The unidentified aircraft was reportedly spotted off the coastal city of Rizhao, after the US shot down three similar objects
FILE PHOTO: An alleged Chinese surveillance balloon floats over Columbia, Missouri, February 3, 2023 © AP / Anna Griffin
Chinese authorities are preparing to shoot down an “unidentified flying object” near the coastal city of Rizhao in the eastern province of Shandong, state media reported on Sunday. The encounter comes after US warplanes shot down three similar devices in a week, one of which originated in China.
The UFO was spotted by “local maritime authorities,” the Global Times newspaper reported, adding that the same authorities were making preparations to open fire on it. Fishermen working near the port city were sent messages advising them to “be safe.”
No further description of the aircraft was given, and it was not explained exactly how the authorities planned on bringing it down.
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The UFO was discovered hours after a US F-22 fighter jet shot down an unidentified and unmanned object over Canadian airspace. Speaking to Fox News, US officials described the object as a “small metallic balloon with a tethered payload,” while other media reports described it as “cylindrical” in shape.
US forces shot down two other unidentified aircraft earlier in the week. One was taken down near Alaska, while the first was hit by a missile off the coast of South Carolina. The latter aircraft – described as a Chinese “surveillance balloon” – had made its way across the entire country from west to east before it was downed, allegedly gathering intelligence on “strategic sites” along the way, according to the Pentagon.
Beijing denied the accusations of espionage, insisting that the craft was a “civilian airship” that had veered off course. China’s foreign ministry has since condemned US politicians and media outlets for using the incident to “attack and smear China,” while the Biden administration has imposed sanctions on six firms it accused of aiding Beijing’s “aerospace programs.”
