Is China targeting countries including India with spy balloons? The report says…
China has launched spy balloons targeting several countries, including India and Japan, a report said, days after a US military fighter jet shot down a Chinese surveillance ship hovering over key installations in the country. The Pentagon also released a series of images of the recovery of the high-altitude observation balloon.
“The surveillance balloon effort, which has been operating for years off China’s southern coast off Hainan province, has collected information on military assets in countries of growing strategic interest to China, including Japan, India, Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines. ” reported the Washington Post.
Citing interviews with several anonymous security and intelligence officials, the report said Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman briefed officials from 40 embassies about the balloon downing.
Officials said the observation balloons were operated by the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) Air Force and were spotted over five continents.
“All these balloons are part of the PRC (People’s Republic of China) balloons, which have been developed to conduct surveillance operations, which also violate the sovereignty of other countries,” the report quoted a senior defense official as saying.
At least four balloons have been spotted over Hawaii, Florida, Texas and Guam, in addition to the one tracked last week, three of the four incidents occurred during the Donald Trump administration but were recently identified as Chinese surveillance. Airships.
