'Unmanned civilian airship' over US not for spying, China repeats

It was an entirely unexpected accident when a Chinese balloon drifted over the US in February, Chinese foreign ministry said again on Friday.

"As China has stated on many occasions, the unmanned Chinese civilian airship drifting over the US was caused by force majeure," Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning said at a routine press briefing in Beijing in response to a US statement that the balloon did not collect intelligence.

Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters at a briefing on Thursday: "We believe that (the balloon) did not collect while it was transiting the United States or flying over the United States."

Mao said that to call the device a "spy balloon" that collected intelligence was nothing but a false accusation.