Washington. China has operated a fleet of spy balloons targeting various countries, including India and Japan. This has been affirmed in a media report. The report comes days after the US military destroyed a Chinese surveillance balloon that was flying over sensitive US facilities. US officials have briefed their friends and allies, including India, about the Chinese balloon information. The balloon was destroyed by a fighter plane Saturday over the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of South Carolina.
US Assistant Secretary of State Wendy Sherman briefed officials at some 40 embassies here on Monday. The Washington Post said Tuesday that the balloon surveillance effort “gathered information on military assets in a number of countries, including Japan, India, Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines, and in areas of emerging strategic interest to China.” The report is based on interviews by The Washington Post with several unnamed defense and intelligence officials.
China Spy Balloon Destroyed! pic.twitter.com/GMc6iCDGSf
general Reality -😆🇺🇸🤩⚖️ (@WadeDav04301694) February 4, 2023
According to the report, officials have said that these surveillance vehicles, operated by China’s PLA (People’s Liberation Army) Air Force, have been spotted on five continents. A senior defense official was quoted as saying: “These balloons are part of the PRC fleet of balloons, which have been developed to conduct surveillance operations and have violated the sovereignty of other countries.”
According to the newspaper, there have been at least four balloon sightings in Hawaii, Florida, Texas and Guam in recent years, and one in the past week. Three of these four incidents occurred during the administration of former President Donald Trump, but only recently have they been identified as Chinese surveillance vehicles. The Pentagon released images of the balloons on Tuesday.
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