MOSCOW, Feb 8 uses balloons to collect data on a number of states, in particular, Japan and India, the Washington Post newspaper writes, citing sources. . He, according to the newspaper, collected data on military infrastructure in countries «representing a new strategic interest» for the PRC. We are talking about Japan, India, Vietnam, the Philippines and Taiwan (China considers the island one of its provinces).
«What the Chinese have done is take incredibly old technology and, in fact, combine it with modern means of communications and surveillance … This is a huge effort,» one US intelligence source told the newspaper.
According to the newspaper, US intelligence linked the downed Chinese balloon last Saturday «with an extensive surveillance program» At the same time, a senior official in the administration of US President Joe Biden told the newspaper that Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman held a briefing on «Chinese spying» with balloons on about 150 people from about 40 embassies.
The balloon, which, according to the Americans, was used by China for reconnaissance purposes, crossed Canada, the US land area and was shot down over the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday A. The Chinese claim that the balloon had a civilian purpose and was used for meteorological research.