Defense Department spokesman Patrick Ryder said that a Chinese balloon dropped over the US sky on Feb. 4 was not gathering intelligence. DEA News.
“As for the balloon and its abilities, we knew then, from what you heard from us, that it has the ability to gather intelligence. But according to our estimates, it did not collect information when it flew over U.S. territory,” Ryder said.
It was previously reported that there was a Chinese balloon flying over the United States in early 2023. used American equipment for data collection.
Several out-of-control Chinese weather balloons became the subject of discussions between the United States and China in early 2023, with Washington claiming the balloons were carrying spy equipment, while Beijing has denied this information. On February 4, 2023, such a balloon was destroyed by the US Air Force, China protested.
Former US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken declarationHe said the United States and China should leave behind the story of the Chinese bubble dropped by the American side.