On February 4, the U.S. government shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon that had been drifting across U.S. airspace for days. The high-altitude balloon spotted floating for days in airspace near U.S. military sites dominated headlines and sparked a political uproar. It prompted U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to postpone a high-stakes visit to Beijing. China said it regretted “the unintended entry of the airship into U.S. airspace due to force majeure,” but called the downing of the balloon “an obvious overreaction.” “The airship is from China. It is a civilian airship used for research, mainly meteorological, purposes. Affected by the Westerlies and with limited self-steering capability, the airship deviated far from its planned course,” the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. That is misleading. https://www.polygraph.info/a/fact-check-china-misleading-attempt-to-pass-the-spy-balloon-for-a-weather-surveyor/6952185.html » Subscribe to VOA News: https://bit.ly/3KIPysi » Watch more VOA News video: https://www.youtube.com/c/VOANews Voice of America (VOA) is the largest U.S. international broadcaster, providing news and information in more than 40 languages to an estimated weekly audience of 236.8 million people. VOA produces content for digital, television, and radio platforms. It is easily accessed via your mobile phone and on social media. It is also distributed by satellite, cable, FM and MW, and is carried on a network of approximately 3,000 affiliate stations. Since its creation in 1942, Voice of America has been committed to providing comprehensive coverage of the news and telling audiences the truth. Through World War II, the Cold War, the fight against global terrorism, and the struggle for freedom around the globe today, VOA exemplifies the principles of a free press. Connect with VOA News: » VISIT OUR WEBSITE: https://www.voanews.com/ » LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/voanews » FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/voanews/ » FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: https://twitter.com/VOANews