A handout photo made available by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) Public Affairs via the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) on 07 February 2023 shows sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, 05 February 2023 (issued 07 February 2023). At the direction of the US President and with the full support of Canada's Government, U.S. fighter aircrafts under U.S. Northern Command authority engaged and brought down a high altitude surveillance balloon within sovereign U.S. airspace and over U.S. territorial waters 04 February 2023, according to the US Navy. EPA-EFE/US Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Tyler Thompson "Since last year, the US's high-altitude balloons have undergone more than 10 illegal flights into Chinese airspace without the approval of the relevant Chinese departments," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a regular briefing in Beijing in response to a question.
Wang did not specifically describe the balloons as military or for espionage purposes and did not provide further details.
Asked how China had responded to such incursions into its airspace, Wang said its responses had been "responsible and professional".
The US defence department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
China's assertion comes after the United States shot down what it says was a Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4 after it had drifted across the continental United States for days.
In response to the Chinese balloon, the United States postponed a visit to Beijing by Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
China says the balloon was a civilian research craft that had mistakenly blown off course and accused the United States of overreacting.
"The first thing the US side should do is to look at itself, to change its ways, not to smear and incite confrontation," Wang said.
In recent days, the US military has shot down three other flying objects over North America.
Wang said he had no information on the latest three objects shot down by the United States.
By Martin Quin Pollard
(Reporting by Martin Quin Pollard; Writing by Tony Munroe)