According to US media reports, the Chinese observation balloon, which the US shot down over the Atlantic a month ago, is said to have collected information regarding several American military locations. The balloon is also believed to have transmitted real-time information to Beijing, broadcasters CNN and NBC News reported Monday, citing sources familiar with the matter. The US government did not confirm the reports.
In early February, the US military shot down the balloon following days of flying over the United States. The United States accused China of espionage, which Beijing denied. Washington said at the time that the US took immediate steps during the flyover to prevent the balloon from collecting sensitive information and reduce its intelligence value for China.
China was able to maneuver the balloon to fly over some of the sites multiple times, NBC News reported, citing senior government officials. Much more information might have been gathered from sensitive locations had the US government not restricted the balloon’s capability. In principle, their usefulness is limited compared to information that China can collect with low-Earth satellites.
