Blinken calls Chinese balloon part of surveillance program Don’t feel like talking: China apparently blocks the call from the US Secretary of Defense

According to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the suspected spy balloon shot down by the US from China is part of an extensive surveillance program. “The United States was not the only target of this broad program that violated the sovereignty of countries on five continents,” Blinken said Wednesday at a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Washington. The United States had exchanged information with dozens of countries. Blinken did not provide more specific information.

The appearance of a Chinese surveillance balloon suspected of espionage over US territory has further cooled the already chilly relations between the two countries. The US military shot down the balloon over the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday. The US government accuses China of spying on military installations. Beijing, on the other hand, spoke of an off-course civilian research balloon and of an “overreaction”. In view of the dispute, Blinken canceled a trip to Beijing at short notice.

The foreign minister pointed out that parts of the crashed balloon are still being recovered. “We analyze them to learn more about the surveillance program.” This information would be linked to knowledge gained when the balloon was still in US airspace. Blinken added: “We will say more about this in the coming days.”

Stoltenberg added that the balloon confirmed “a pattern in Chinese behaviour”. The People’s Republic has invested heavily in new military capabilities, including surveillance and reconnaissance. Increased activities by the secret service can also be observed in Europe. The Chinese used satellites, cyber skills and of course balloons. “So we have to be vigilant,” the Norwegian warned. (sda/dpa)