According to official sources here chinese foreign ministry informed the British ambassador that despite the illegal entry of the balloon into China, Beijing would allow it to continue across the country. However, the ministry has requested the balloonists to leave its air space as soon as possible.

Earlier, Branson, on a record-setting non-stop balloon journey around the globe, cruised across prohibited Chinese airspace despite orders from the authorities to come down in Tibet. The hot-air balloon today strayed into a no-fly zone over Tibet, after being forced to alter course following the US and British strikes on Iraq.

British officials had asked the Chinese authorities to allow Branson and his team to continue with their world tour as they had been unable to obey the demand to land in the Tibetancapital of Lhasa.

China had earlier in the day asked the balloonists to land in Lhasa as their course violated an agreement with the authorities in Beijing which had permitted it to transit another area of China to the south.