China says US high-altitude balloons have flown over its airspace without permission more than 10 times since the beginning of 2022.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remark on Monday at a regular briefing.

This comes after the United States earlier this month shot down what it says was a Chinese surveillance balloon. The US military says it has recently shot down three other unidentified flying objects.

A reporter asked Wang whether the unidentified objects had any connections with China.

Wang said he knew nothing about that. He accused the US of making up something out of nothing and defaming China.

He also said the US frequently dispatches ships and aircraft to conduct close reconnaissance of China.

He said the first thing the US should do is to reflect on itself and drastically change its attitude.

Some Chinese media outlets reported that authorities in the eastern province of Shandong have spotted an unidentified flying object and are preparing to shoot it down. The media said local maritime authorities issued an alert on Sunday to fishing boats.

Wang gave no details about the matter. He urged reporters to confirm the facts by asking the relevant authorities.