TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Saturday (Feb. 4) separately condemned the passage of a suspected Chinese spy balloon over the United States.

The balloon was first spotted over the state of Montana, and was still drifting over the U.S. as the military did not shoot it down due to the danger of falling debris. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called off a planned visit to Beijing over the incident, while China claimed it was a weather balloon blown off course by the wind.

Asked for his opinion on the issue, Chen said countries should respect each other’s sovereignty, and not intrude into each other’s airspace, Radio Taiwan International (RTI) reported. Only this way could there be peace, mutual assistance, and cooperation, he emphasized.

MOFA issued a statement condemning China’s government for violating international law and for intruding into other countries’ airspace, a practice unacceptable by civilized international society. Beijing should immediately halt behavior damaging to regional security, the ministry said.

Taiwan has been facing incursions by Chinese military aircraft into its air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on an almost daily basis for the past two years, raising tension and fears of Chinese military action against the country.