Canada said it summoned the Chinese ambassador to explain why a surveillance device entered Canadian airspace. A spokesman for the Department of Global Affairs said Canada wants China to explain why and how its altitude monitoring equipment entered its airspace.
“Yesterday, the Chinese Ambassador to Canada was summoned by officials from the Canadian Department of Global Affairs regarding the situation described in the Canadian Defense Department statement. We will continue to strongly demonstrate our position to Chinese officials through multiple channels,” Jason Kung, a spokesman for Global Affairs Canada, said in a statement provided to CNN.
In a statement on Thursday, Defense Canada confirmed it had discovered the surveillance device and said it continued to monitor the surveillance balloon along with NORAD and its US partners.
“Canadians are safe and Canada is taking steps to ensure the security of its airspace, including monitoring for the possibility of a second incident. NORAD, the Canadian Armed Forces, the Department of Defense and other partners assessed the situation and coordinated closely,” the statement read in part.
CNN has requested clarification on the “second incident” mentioned in the statement, but the Canadian government said it has no further information to share at this time.
