TheChinese undercover agent ballooncaptured figure and video surveillance using American technology , U.S. official reported on Thursday . The balloon , which wasshot down off the coast of South Carolinaearlier this yr , likely did n’t transmit the information back to the Chinese political science based on a preliminary investigation , although the investigation is still ongoing .
In February , the Taiwanese government denied the balloon was intended for surveillance , claiming instead thatit was a conditions balloon that had blow off course . But when theU.S. military retrieved the dust , it found applied science suit to capture information from the ground include puppet that are designed to get together and channel data .
The late study that the balloon did not transmit valuable selective information to China contradict an earlier man byNBCin April which stated thatsensitive military information was transmitted by the undercover agent balloon overseas . The way out cited two unknown senior U.S. officials and one unnamed former senior judicature official , who reportedly articulate the balloon passed over multiple military site and sent real - time information back to Beijing despite the Biden Administration ’s best efforts to prevent it .
Photo: AP News (AP)
At the time of its discovery , the U.S. military had moved potential target tostop the balloon from picking up electronic signals , and Pentagon functionary issued astatementin February , mere Day before the balloon was pip down , say it did n’t believe the balloon was able to capture sensitive information . “ We assess that this balloon has define additive value from an intelligence collection linear perspective , ” official pronounce . “ But we are take steps , nevertheless , to protect against foreign intelligence assembling of sensitive information . ”
The new finding now seem to mirror the statement , as unnamed officials tell the WSJ that Beijing had not obtained any information , but did not enjoin the outlet whether the balloon had malfunctioned or if the U.S. military ’s nimble reaction forestall it from collecting information . Beijing has warned that it will be forced to take utmost action at law if the U.S. administration releases its findings or if the report becomes publically useable .
The findings come amid tense relations between China and the U.S. , even as Secretary of State , Antony Blinken , travel to Beijing earlier this month to attempt to mend the relationship between the two countries . Meanwhile , President Joe Biden has said the “ chapter should be shut down , ” referencingthe spy balloon , provided it does n’t happen again , and called it “ more sticky ” for the Formosan government “ than it was intentional . ”
Even as official provide novel information on the spy balloon , yet another has appear over Asia . According toBBC News , the balloon was spotted hovering over Japan this calendar week , and it ’s being closely monitor by the Japanese Ministry of Defense .
Yuko Murakami , from the Ministry of Defense , assure the wall socket that the Nipponese government is “ consume all precaution to monitor the berth on a daily basis , ” and will moot fool down the balloon if it means protecting the “ life-time and property of people in the territory of Japan . ”
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