The reconnaissance balloon shot down off the coast in South Carolina belonged to the Chinese army. This was reported on February 8 by Fox News, citing senior representatives of the US military and national security.
“Senior officials <…> confirmed that a Chinese reconnaissance balloon shot down off the coast of South Carolina over the weekend was linked to a major reconnaissance program conducted by the Chinese Armed Forces,” the channel reported.
It is noted that reconnaissance using such a “spy ball” was mainly carried out by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in the Chinese province of Hainan Island, as well as over Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines and India.
The channel claims that such devices have previously appeared over the United States, but it is not known how long Beijing has been spying with such balloons.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the same day that the presidential administration believes China is using reconnaissance balloons over all five continents. According to her, the PRC has developed a fleet of balloons for reconnaissance operations.
On the night of February 3, a huge balloon was seen in the sky over the United States. The Pentagon then stated that it was a Chinese, presumably intelligence apparatus, but it did not pose a danger to the population, and all necessary measures to prevent the leakage of valuable information were promptly taken.
On February 4, the Associated Press reported that a PRC balloon had been shot down by the American military. The material noted that the balloon was shot down off the East Coast of the United States on the orders of American leader Joe Biden. Later, the Pentagon said it examined the equipment on the balloon, establishing that it was used for intelligence gathering.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry, in turn, denied this assertion. The agency said in a statement that the purpose of the balloon is “civilian in nature.” The probe, in particular, was used for meteorological research. A serious introduction was made to Washington in connection with the incident. The ministry said the incident damaged relations between the two countries.
