US says downed Chinese balloon is part of surveillance plan developed over ‘several years’
- Pentagon says Chinese balloons of various sizes and capabilities have been operating in skies above ‘at least five continents’ including South America
- Beijing has been trying to enhance its information collection and gain intelligence insight, adds National Security Council spokesman
The unmanned balloon flying above American skies pointed to a “concerted effort” by China to develop its capability for additional surveillance assets over countries without their permission and knowledge, said National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.
“This is a programme that the Chinese have been working on for several years. They have been trying to improve it, and grow it, and increase it and to gain intelligence insight from it,” Kirby said on Wednesday.
The Pentagon on Wednesday offered an identical assessment. Brigadier General Pat Ryder said “what we now subsequently assess to be Chinese balloons [have been] operating over at least five continents in regions like Latin America, South America, Southeast Asia, East Asia and Europe”.