U.S. officials knew from the moment the Chinese spy balloon was shot down off the coast of South Carolina from the moment it lifted off, sources said Tuesday — sparking further questions about why it wasn’t shot down sooner.
The balloon took off from Hainan Island in southern China in late January and entered US airspace over Alaska on January 28. It briefly entered Canada and returned to US territory over northern Idaho on January 30, the day the White House said Biden was first briefed on it.
The balloon crossed the United States, passing through multiple sensitive locations, before being shot down as soon as it crossed the sea.
The Pentagon said it was too risky to shoot down overland.
But on Tuesday The New York Times reported that the balloon was tracked from the moment it lifted off.
China’s spy balloon floats to the ocean after being shot down off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4
In a sign of how closely the United States had been following the Chinese military’s balloon surveillance program recently, US officials said in interviews that they began tracking the spy balloon when it lifted off from Hainan Island in southern China in late January. ‘, reports the newspaper.
Republicans have demanded to know why it wasn’t shot down sooner, and Tuesday’s report will only serve to increase their volume.
The balloon was hit by a missile from an F-22 fighter near Myrtle Beach, fascinating stargazers in a densely populated area known as the Grand Strand for its miles of beaches that attract retirees and vacationers.
A report of the Washington Post details that the airship, which sparked a dramatic — and very public — espionage saga that soured China-US relations, has been a key part of Beijing’s intelligence operations for years.
The report says the Chinese military has previously sent balloons into the skies of geopolitical rivals such as Japan, India and the Philippines.
The Pentagon previously said at least four other balloons had previously been detected over US airspace, in Hawaii, Florida, Texas and Guam, three of them during Donald Trump’s presidency.
Over the weekend, more balloons were shot down over Alaska, the Canadian province of Yukon and Lake Huron.
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken postponed his trip to China hours before he was due to leave because of the balloon.
China’s defense minister, meanwhile, rejected an overture from US defense secretary Lloyd Austin to discuss the events.
Defense Minister Lloyd Austin pictured with Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe in November 2022. On Tuesday, Fenghe declined a call from Austin about the balloon
Yulin Naval Base on Hainan Island, where the country’s balloon program is based
One of the Chinese nuclear submarines at the Yulin naval base on Hainan Island
Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong at Yulin Naval Base
China’s foreign ministry said it regretted that the balloon accidentally entered US airspace, claiming it was a civilian craft
The Pentagon said in a statement: “Lines between our armies are particularly important at times like this. Unfortunately, the People’s Republic of China rejected our request. Our commitment to open lines of communication will continue Politics.
A senior official told the Post that China’s airship program represents a “massive effort” within the country’s espionage programs.
The program is based at Yulin Naval Base on Hainan Island on China’s southern coast.
A Japanese official told the newspaper that a giant orb was spotted over the country in 2020, which many believed to be a UFO.
That official said, “In retrospect, people realize it was a Chinese espionage tool. But at the time it was purely new – no one had seen this.’
Intelligence officials have no estimate of how many spy balloons the Chinese military possesses.
However, an official did use the word ‘dozens’ when asked how many sightings there have been in recent years, according to the Post.
The paper further reported that in June 2022, a spy balloon crashed in Hawaii.
As a result, the US military was able to release valuable information about Chinese military technology.
Fragments of the balloon will be landed on February 5 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Boxes are unloaded from a boat that took part in the search for the debris
The debris was scattered about seven miles and landed in 47 feet of water
Republican senators fire on President Biden to address the public after four floating objects were shot down over the US in eight days
Speaking of the benefits of using a balloon for espionage purposes rather than more advanced technology, retired Air Force Lieutenant General Charlie “Tuna” Moore said, “If you have a balloon that moves extremely slowly, you have persistence that you can’t get from a satellite.’
Moore added that satellites typically have only seconds to take pictures of their targets.
Last week, Biden officials in Washington and Beijing held briefings with foreign diplomats from 40 countries about the balloon.
Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman briefed nearly 150 foreign diplomats across 40 embassies on Feb. 6, an official said, while in Beijing on Feb. 6 and Feb. 7, the U.S. embassy gathered foreign diplomats to present U.S. findings about the balloon.
“We want to make sure we share as much as possible with countries around the world that may also be susceptible to this type of operation,” the senior government official said.
China has said it was a weather balloon that had blown off course in US airspace and was an “unexpected, isolated incident.”
It condemned the shooting and accused the United States of overreacting.
“The US’s insistence on the use of armed force is clearly an overreaction that seriously violates international practice,” China’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Beijing threatened that it “reserves the right to take further action in response.”
