The Chinese spy balloon that recently traversed the U.S. was part of a larger surveillance program, according to U.S. officials.

The Chinese spy balloon that recently traversed the U.S. was part of a larger surveillance program, according to U.S. officials.  Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that the U.S. recently informed several countries that China has been deploying high-altitude spy balloons around the world.  U.S. authorities detected a Chinese surveillance balloon flying over U.S. airspace on Jan. 28. A U.S. warplane shot down the balloon off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday after it flew over key U.S. military installations. A Pentagon spokesperson said that the device was part of a larger espionage program that has seen over four spy balloons deployed over the U.S. alone. Blinken accused the surveillance program of violating "the sovereignty of countries across five continents," and said that the U.S. will soon reveal further details about the balloon it destroyed. Chinese authorities deny that the balloon was used for spying and have accused the U.S. of "information warfare" for spreading the allegations. The balloon's discovery has hampered efforts to end a decade of strained relations between Washington and Beijing.