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Chinese Foreign Ministry has denied that a balloon spotted in US airspace was collecting sensitive information, saying it was a civilian "airship" used mostly for meteorological purposes.

In a statement on Friday, the ministry said China regrets the unintentional entry into US airspace and was diverted by winds.

The United States is tracking the balloon that has been spotted in its airspace for the past few days. The Pentagon has so far decided not to shoot it for fear of hurting people on the ground.

A senior defence official told Pentagon reporters that officials had "high confidence" that it was a Chinese high-altitude balloon flying over sensitive locations to gather information.

One of the places the balloon was spotted was Montana, home to one of the nation's three nuclear missile silo fields at Malmstrom Air Force Base.

The Pentagon's press secretary, Brigadier General Patrick Ryder, said the U.S. government was continuing to track the balloon and that it was "currently travelling at an altitude high enough for commercial air traffic to be safe for people on the ground, military or There is no physical danger."

The incident comes days before Secretary of State Anthony Blanken is scheduled to make his first visit to Beijing, expected later this week, to try to find some common ground between the two world powers.

Although the trip has not been officially announced, both Beijing and Washington are talking about his imminent arrival.

It was not immediately clear whether the balloon discovery would affect Blinken's travel plans.