US intelligence agencies discovered that a Chinese spy balloon that flew over the United States in early 2023 used a US Internet service provider to send short, periodic transmissions of navigation and location data to China. A US official told CNN, but the news channel was unable to identify the Internet provider involved.
The source said that this communication was one of the ways in which the United States was able to track the location of the balloon and collect information about the balloon as it crossed the United States. CNN had previously reported that the balloon was able to communicate with Beijing while traveling through the United States.
look. The United States launches a Chinese spy balloon from the sky
The network connection was not used to send information to China, according to the official. The balloon stored that information for later, including images and other data, which the United States was able to study after the US Air Force shot down the balloon on February 4 off the coast of South Carolina.
Monitoring programme
China continued to maintain that the balloon was a weather balloon that went off course. But the United States ruled at the time that the balloon was part of a widespread surveillance program by the Chinese military. According to US officials, this “balloon fleet” has flown dozens of missions over at least five continents in recent years.
US intelligence agencies believe that Chinese Communist Party leaders had no intention of flying the balloon over the United States, and even reprimanded surveillance program managers over the incident, CNN previously reported.
“very upset”
President Joe Biden also indicated last June that Chinese leader Xi Jinping was surprised by the location of the balloon. Biden told guests at a fundraising event that Xi was “very upset” after the US shot down the balloon because he “didn’t know the balloon existed.” Xi then likened Jinping to “dictators” who feel embarrassed when they don’t know what’s going on.
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