The UFO appeared to glow with an eerie white light and left a bright trail in its wake. Its appearance forced Xiaoshan Airport to close at around 9PM while dozens of flights were diverted.
Stunned witnesses reported seeing a comet-like fireball in the sky and a number of local residents took photos of the strange ball of light.
A local bus driver, giving his name only as Yu, said he had seen a strange glowing object in the sky late on Wednesday afternoon.
“The thing suddenly ran westwards fast, like it was escaping from something,” he said.
Some Chinese experts claimed that the strange sight was actually debris from a US intercontinental ballistic missile.
Chinese officials later said that they knew what the object had been but were unable to make it public because there was a “military connection.”
An official statement is expected later today.
