Chinese balloons suspected of carrying out reconnaissance activities have been confirmed to have intruded into US airspace several times during the Trump administration, with three of them flying near sensitive military installations and training areas. This was confirmed by several people who were familiar with the matter.
Balloons have been spotted around US Navy and Air Force bases in Texas, Florida and Hawaii, as well as around the island of Guam, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information has to distribute.
They are also said to have flown near two naval ports in Norfolk, Virginia and Coronado, California, where the US military uses important aircraft carriers. The balloon which flew over Guam and Norfolk is believed to have radar jamming capability, and the time it flew near Norfolk, where the aircraft carrier is deployed, is said to coincide with the launch of China’s own aircraft carrier .
The balloons flew near Norfolk and Coronado at relatively low altitudes over waters within US airspace, according to officials who have worked in the Trump administration.
A large balloon floats off the coast of South Carolina (February 4)
Photographer: Chad Fish/AP
The United States is also likely to use such tactics, but officials said the balloon shot down by US forces off the southern coast of South Carolina on Saturday was part of China’s extensive worldwide surveillance program.
Chinese balloons have been spotted in countries on five continents, including East and South Asia and Europe, in recent years, a senior US defense official said on Thursday.
In an interview with the local media, Cheng Ming-chun, head of Taiwan’s Central Weather Service, reported that in March last year, a balloon hovered for several hours over the Taipei Songshan Airport, which is used for military and civilian use. He said it was similar to the balloon seen last week in the United States.
According to domestic media, there have been at least two reports of similar balloons being seen in the Tohoku region in 2020.
Original title:Chinese Balloons Seen Near US Bases During Trump Era､China’s Balloon Saga Spots Beijing’s Global Espionage Push (1) (抜粋）
(We will add and update what was seen in Taiwan and Japan)
