PTI
Washington, February 8
China has operated a fleet of spy balloons targeting several countries, including India and Japan, a media report has said, days after the US military shot down a Chinese “surveillance” craft floating over sensitive installations in the country.
US officials have briefed its friends and allies, including India, on the finds of the Chinese surveillance balloon that was shot down by a fighter jet off the coast of South Carolina in the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday.
On Monday, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman briefed officials from about 40 embassies here about it.
“The surveillance balloon effort, which has operated for several years partly out of Hainan province off China’s south coast, has collected information on military assets in countries and areas of emerging strategic interest to China, including Japan, India, Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines,” The Washington Post reported on Tuesday.
The Post’s report was based on interviews with anonymous defence and intelligence officials. Officials have said these surveillance airships, operated in part by the PLA air force, have been spotted over five continents, the daily reported.
“These balloons are all part of a PRC ( People’s Republic of China) fleet of balloons developed to conduct surveillance operations,” a defence official was quoted as saying.
