The Chinese spy balloon that passed over the U.S. early this year used American technology that helped it collect audio-visual information, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing preliminary findings from a closely held investigation.
Analysis from several US defence and intelligence agencies found that the balloon carried commercially available U.S. gear, along with more specialized Chinese sensors and other equipment to collect photographs, video, and other information to transmit to China, the WSJ said, citing US officials. The findings support a conclusion that the craft was intended for spying, and not for weather monitoring as China had claimed, the report said.
But the balloon did not seem to send data from its eight-day passage over Alaska, Canada, and some other contiguous US states back to China, WSJ said.
In February, the U.S. shot down the balloon, which had flown over sensitive military sites, sparking a diplomatic crisis.
The alleged Chinese spy balloon that passed over the United States, sparking a diplomatic crisis between the two nations, used American-made surveillance gear to spy on citizens.
A probe into the incident carried out by the US found that other than commercially available US gear, the balloon was equipped with more specialized Chinese sensors and other equipment to collect photographs, and other information during its eight-day passage over the US states and some parts of Canadian territory, WSJ said.
The preliminary conclusions from the investigation were drawn after analyzing the debris recovered after the balloon was shot down by the US military off the South Carolina coast on February 4. The probe showed that the craft collected photos and videos but didn’t appear to transmit them back to China.
According to the report, US officials stated that they traced purchase orders for certain equipment found on the balloon, and probed links between the purchasers and the Chinese government.
Bloomberg reported that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in China did not provide a response to the request for comment. Additionally, Reuters reported that both the White House and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are also yet responded to comments.
This development follows Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s recent visit to Beijing, marking the highest-ranking visit by an American official to China in five years, as both countries attempt to mend their relations.
(With inputs from agencies)
