According to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the suspected spy balloon shot down by the US from China is part of an extensive surveillance program.
“The United States was not the only target of this broad program that violated the sovereignty of countries on five continents,” Blinken said at a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Washington on Wednesday. The United States had exchanged information with dozens of countries. Blinken did not provide any more specific information.
The appearance of a Chinese surveillance balloon suspected of being used for espionage purposes over US territory has further cooled the already chilly relations between the two countries. The US military shot down the balloon over the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday.
The US government accuses China of wanting to spy on military installations. Beijing, on the other hand, spoke of a civilian research balloon that had gone off course and of an “overreaction”. In view of the dispute, Blinken canceled a trip to Beijing at short notice.
The Foreign Minister pointed out that parts of the downed balloon were still being recovered. “We analyze them to learn more about the surveillance program.” This information would be linked to knowledge that was collected while the balloon was still in American airspace. Blinken added, “We’ll have more to say about that in the coming days.”
Stoltenberg added that the balloon confirmed “a pattern in Chinese behavior.” The People’s Republic has invested heavily in new military capabilities, including surveillance and reconnaissance. Increased secret service activities can also be observed in Europe. The Chinese used satellites, cyber skills and, of course, balloons. “So we have to be vigilant,” warned the Norwegian. (dpa)
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