In the latest jab over aerial surveillance, China said on Monday that high-altitude balloons from the US had flown over Chinese airspace without permission more than 10 times since the start of last year.

China’s claims could not be immediately corroborated. But Wang Wenbin, a foreign ministry spokesman, said that it was a “common occurrence” for US high-altitude balloons to “illegally enter the airspace of other countries”, while providing no further details.

He also reiterated Beijing’s position that the Chinese balloon that floated over the US this month before being shot down was a civilian airship that had accidentally strayed into American airspace. US officials called it a surveillance craft.

Wang urged the US “to reflect on itself and mend its ways, instead of slandering, smearing or inciting confrontation”.

The comments followed a busy weekend of aerial theatrics as US fighter jets shot down three unidentified flying objects over North America.

US officials are still uncertain about what the objects were, who sent them and what purpose they were meant to serve.

In China, the local authorities near a northern port city said on Sunday that they had spotted their own UFO.

New York Times News Service