evidence: The Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Friday that a balloon spotted over Montana Thursday was a civilian "airship" used primarily for meteorological research that drifted wildly off course. As for how the balloon end up in big sky country, which houses one of the nation’s nuclear launch facilities, China blamed the wind as well as the airship’s limited self-steering capabilities. Government officials apologized for their wayward balloon. [...] Earlier: The Chinese Foreign Ministry addressed the balloon incident in a daily briefing on Friday and stated it was "verifying" the situation, according to Reuters. Reports of a giant white spy balloon in sensitive air space in Montana, home to one of the nation’s three nuclear silos, captivated the internet on Thursday. They also traveled up the ladder, capturing the attention of U.S. military officials and President Joe Biden. At the briefing, the foreign ministry did not deny that the balloon belonged to China. [...] It’s not clear what will happen to China’s purported spy balloon now that its cover’s been blown. Top defense and military officials recommended Biden against shooting down the balloon because of the possible safety risks to the public from the debris. The AP reported that Biden accepted the recommendation.