A Chinese spy balloon that entered U.S. airspace was reportedly able collect intelligence from military sites.
According to NBC News, the balloon gathered information from numerous U.S. military sites, despite the efforts by the Biden administration to prevent that from happening, according to two senior U.S. officials and one former senior administration official.
The three officials told the outlet China had the ability to control the balloon so it could pass over some of the sites several times, even flying in figure-eights.
The information was reportedly collected and sent back to Beijing in real time, per NBC News.
The officials explained the information came mostly from electronic signals.
China would have been able to gather more information from the sites if the administration did not make the effort to “move around potential targets and obscure the balloon’s ability to pick up their electronic signals by stopping them from broadcasting or emitting signals,” NBC News explained.
In February, tensions between the U.S. and China grew after the balloon was taken down off the Carolina coast.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement describing its “strong dissatisfaction and protest over the use of force” by the U.S.
“The Chinese side had clearly requested the U.S. side to handle the situation properly in a calm, professional and restrained manner,” the statement said.
China declared the take down an “obvious over reaction and a serious violation of international customary practice.”
The statement continued, “The Chinese side will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the companies concerned, while reserving the right to make further necessary responses.”
The ministry claimed the balloon acted as a “civilian airship used for research, mainly meteorological purposes.”
China suggested the balloon’s travel into U.S. airspace was a “completely accidental situation.”
After the balloon was brought down, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement military commanders “had determined downing the balloon while over land posed an undue risk to people across a wide area due to the size and altitude of the balloon and its surveillance payload.”
