The balloon spotted in the skies over Latin America does belong to China; it is a civilian aircraft that went off course, China's Global Times reported Monday.

"The balloon that was over Latin America is a Chinese civilian aircraft. It seriously deviated from its planned route and went astray in the skies over Latin America and the Caribbean Sea," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

Last week, another balloon was discovered in the skies over the United States. China's Foreign Ministry said the balloon spotted over the U.S. was a civilian aircraft used for scientific purposes, mostly meteorological, that went off course and into U.S. airspace. China apologized for "inadvertently entering U.S. airspace." U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken postponed a planned February 5-6 visit to the PRC after the balloon incident. As a result, the U.S. military shot down the balloon that flew over their territory.

The Pentagon then claimed to have discovered another balloon, this time over Latin America. The U.S. classified it as a reconnaissance balloon.