White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the object was downed because it was flying at about 40,000 feet (13,000 meters) and posed a “reasonable threat” to the safety of civilian flights, not because of any knowledge that it was engaged in surveillance. aaa
John Kirby, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, claimed that the object was shot down because it was travelling at an altitude of about 40,000 feet.
There are some new details in the case of the Chinese surveillance balloon, as it's likely China's military is responsible for flying balloons over 40 countries and five continents.
Beijing rejected a request for a secure call between Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin and his counterpart on the day an American warplane shot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon, a US Department of Defense spokesman said Tuesday.