A Chinese balloon spotted hovering over the United States over eight days, from Saturday, January 28, to Saturday, February 4, at a high-altitude has finally been destroyed.

The balloon entered U.S. airspace just north of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska, traveling all throughout the coast, and ending its journey on the coast of South Carolina before being shot down by military officials.

“The Pentagon has confirmed the balloon was being used for surveillance, disputing China’s claim that it was a civilian aircraft used for meteorological purposes. Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said the balloon didn’t pose a physical or military threat, and once it was detected, the U.S. took steps to protect against foreign intelligence collection of sensitive information.” (abcnews.go.com).

China claims it was a civilian balloon used for meteorological research, but has refused to say to which government department or company it belongs, which causes suspicion as to whether this claim is true.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Tuesday reiterated that the “unmanned airship” posed no threat and entered U.S. airspace accidentally (apnews.com).

The exact reason for the balloon being sent is not determined yet, but many reports claim it was with the intent of spying on the U.S.

The Chinese spy balloon was equipped with an antenna meant to pinpoint the locations of communication devices and was capable of intercepting calls made on those devices, according to declassified intelligence released by the State Department.

The incident has been named the “2023 Chinese balloon incident.” Due to China’s rocky relationship with the United States, further action that will be taken isn’t sure yet. Some theorists have stated that this incident was the mark of the beginning of a new cold war.