US-China tensions have reached a new peak with claims and counterclaims of military balloons illegally entering the airspace of both nations. China's Foreign Ministry claims that US balloons have crossed its airspace 10 times since January 2022 without permission, while the US denounces China's own balloon program as evidence of ongoing spying efforts.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, called the US a "habitual offender" in terms of surveillance activities, claiming they sent warships and planes to carry out international surveillance 657 times last year. He also admonished the US to “reflect on itself and change course,” rather than “smear and instigate a confrontation.”

John Kirby, spokesperson for the US National Security Council, said these accusations were “false” in an MSNBC interview on Monday. Adrienne Watson, another NSC spokesperson, stated on Twitter, “It is China