To begin with, days after US forces shot down a Chinese reconnaissance boat flying over China’s secret base, China deployed a fleet of reconnaissance balloons targeting several countries, including India and Japan, according to media reports.
On the other hand, USA officials have briefed its friends and allies including India on the finds of the Chinese surveillance balloon that was shot down by a fighter jet off the coast of South Carolina in the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday.
China deployed spy balloons to nations including India, Vietnam , Japan
Meanwhile, on Monday, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman briefed officials from about 40 embassies here about it. “The surveillance balloon effort, which has operated for several years partly out of Hainan province off China’s south coast, has collected information on military assets in countries and areas of emerging strategic interest to China including Japan, India, Vietnam, Taiwan, and the Philippines,” The Washington Post reported on February 7.
Surveillance operated as part by the PLA
Besides, few officials have said these surveillance airships, operated in part by the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) air force, have been spotted over five continents, the daily reported.
In conclusion, “These balloons are all part of a PRC (People’s Republic of China) fleet of balloons developed to conduct surveillance operations, which also violated the sovereignty of other countries,” a senior defence official was quoted as saying. In addition to the ones seen last week, at least four hot air balloons have been sighted over Hawaii, Florida, Texas and Guam in recent years, according to the daily newspaper. Three of the four cases occurred during the Trump administration but were only recently identified as Chinese reconnaissance airships. On Tuesday, the Pentagon released a series of photos showing high-altitude observation balloons.
