Global Affairs summons Chinese ambassador after surveillance balloon crosses continental airspace

Officials at Global Affairs Canada have summoned China's Ambassador to Canada Cong Peiwu for a meeting in response to a high-altitude surveillance balloon detected in North American airspace.

Global Affairs Canada would not say when this meeting will take place or what exactly will be discussed. In a media statement, a spokesperson said the department "will continue to vigorously express [its] position to Chinese officials through multiple channels."

The U.S. Department of Defence said it is "confident" the surveillance balloon belongs to the People's Republic of China. The balloon was first reported on Thursday but American authorities said they've been tracking it "for some time."

Pentagon officials confirmed the balloon had been over Montana — which is home to the Malmstrom Air Force Base, one of the United States' three nuclear missile silo fields.

A Canadian government source with direct knowledge of the situation told CBC the balloon did travel over Canada on its way to Montana. The source said the balloon was first noticed this past weekend over Alaska, that Canadian and American defence officials spoke with each other at that point, and that Biden and Trudeau have not spoken with each other about the situation.

In a press conference on Friday, Pentagon press secretary Brig.-Gen. Pat Ryder said that the balloon has changed course since it entered U.S. airspace it and is now moving eastward. He confirmed it is currently over the centre of the country.

Ryder said officials estimate the balloon will remain over the U.S. for a "few days" and they have decided against shooting it down because of the risk of harming someone or damaging property.

In a media statement, the U.S. Department of Defence said the balloon is "well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground."

After the balloon was spotted, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced he would be postponing his trip to China scheduled for next week.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has claimed the balloon is a civilian airship used for research purposes.

"The airship deviated far from its planned course," says a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "The Chinese side regrets the unintended entry of the airship into U.S. airspace due to force majeure."

On Friday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said it's "outrageous" that "a hostile foreign government had a spy balloon in our airspace."

"We as Canadians should never tolerate espionage by foreign regimes and we should work with our partners in the United States to hold the regime in Beijing accountable for this outrageous intrusion," he said.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said he heard the apology provided by China but still has concerns. 

"We have to be careful and ensure that we are protecting our security and international security," he said.

Canada's Department of National Defence (DND) said in a media statement that the balloon's movements are being tracked by North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and that Canadian intelligence agencies are working with their American partners to "safeguard Canada's sensitive information from foreign intelligence threats."

DND said it is monitoring "a potential second incident," but has provided no further details. The Pentagon confirmed on Friday that it is only tracking one balloon.

Canadian officials have not said publicly whether the surveillance balloon flew over Canadian airspace, and Defence Minister Anita Anand's office declined to comment.

Guy Saint-Jacques, Canada's ambassador to China from 2012 to 2016, said it's "very rare" for China's Foreign Ministry to express regret.

"For once, I tend to believe the explanation that was given by the official spokesperson that this was an honest mistake," Saint-Jacques told Power & Politics guest host Katie Simpson in an interview Friday.

WATCH | Spy balloon will create new tensions in U.S.-China relations says Canada's former Ambassador to Beijing

'Spy balloon will create new tensions in U.S.-China relations,' says Canada's former Ambassador to Beijing

2 years ago

Duration 8:40

"It's like someone on the Chinese side almost did this on purpose to make President Xi Jinping lose face," says Canada's former Ambassador to China, Guy Saint-Jacques.

Saint-Jacques said he expects the Chinese officials responsible for the situation will be punished.

"This is happening at a very bad moment for President Xi Jinping," he said.

"The Chinese were hoping that the planned visit of Secretary Blinken to Beijing early next week would help to restore a minimum amount of dialogue on issues — very critical issues like Taiwan ... This will create new tensions in the relationship."