In a press conference on Thursday, the Pentagon revealed that the Chinese balloon that traversed across the United States from Alaska earlier this year did not engage in intelligence-gathering activities, according to their assessment.
Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder assured that measures were taken to counteract any potential intelligence collection by the balloon. The object was intercepted and shot down by the US Air Force just off the South Carolina coast on February 4, after floating over mainland US for several days.
US officials have been meticulously examining the recovered debris from the Atlantic Ocean to gather further insights.
During a press conference, Pat Ryder stated, “As you heard at that time, we were aware that the balloon has intelligence collection capabilities. It’s been our assessment now that it did not collect while it was transiting the United States or overflying the United States.”
The immense balloon was reported to carry a substantial payload of electronics, raising concerns in the US that Beijing was attempting to acquire vital intelligence by flying over sensitive military installations. The Wall Street Journal recently reported, citing US officials, that the Chinese balloon utilized American technology combined with specialized Chinese sensors to capture photographs. However, these reports have not been officially confirmed by US authorities.
China has consistently denied the allegations of espionage made by the US, asserting that the balloon was equipped with meteorological equipment.
The incident exacerbated tensions between the United States and China. Following the incident, US officials stated that the balloon possessed multiple antennas, including a configuration potentially capable of intercepting and geo-locating communications.
In February, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled his scheduled visit to China as a result of this episode. However, in June, Blinken ultimately traveled to Beijing, where both sides expressed their intentions to stabilize their strained relations.
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