Chinese Spy Balloons Use US Technology
A Chinese spy balloon created a commotion in the United States earlier this year.
This balloon crossing the American skies apparently used US technology to gather audio-visual information, according to a Wall Street Journal report reported by Reuters on Thursday, June 29, 2023.
The WSJ cited preliminary findings from the investigation.
Analysis by several US defense and intelligence agencies found that the balloon was carrying commercially available US equipment.
The Chinese spy balloons carry more specialized sensors and other equipment to collect photos, videos, and other information.
The results were sent to China, according to a Wall Street Journal report that cited US officials.
The findings support the conclusion that the plane was intended for spying, not for weather monitoring as China claims, according to the report.
But the balloon did not send data from its eight-day voyage over Alaska, Canada, and several US states adjacent to China.
There was no immediate comment from the White House or the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Despite causing a commotion in a number of countries, China's spy balloons are allegedly still in the air.
On Tuesday, June 27, 2023, Chinese spy balloons were said to be circulating in Taiwan.
Recent findings suggest that Taiwan and Japan are being targeted in East Asia.
A BBC report quoted by Channel News Asia reported that "several images of the balloons crossed East Asia."
The balloon was monitored by the artificial intelligence firm Synthetaic, which analyzes large amounts of satellite data.
There is evidence of the balloon crossing Japan and Taiwan in September 2021, according to the report.
Taiwan says it will shoot down spy balloons flying over its territory.
Japan has also confirmed the presence of a balloon flying over its territory and said it is ready to shoot it down.
Major General Lin Wen-huang, Director of the Joint Operations Planning of the Ministry of Defense of Taiwan, said that if these balloons were intimidating or a risk to Taiwan, they would shoot them down and destroy them.
Colonel Lo Cheng-yu of the ministry's intelligence center said the military was controlling the situation around the Taiwan Strait effectively and was tracking any movement of high-altitude balloons from mainland China.
"The defense ministry also maintains live information through intelligence exchanges with other allies to ensure our overall security," Lo said.
