The Chinese spy balloon shot down off the east coast of the US earlier this year featured American information-gathering technology, a Wall Street Journal report claims an official investigation will reveal.
Citing preliminary findings from the closely held probe, the WSJ says US defence and intelligence agencies found that the balloon carried commercially available US gear, along with more specialised Chinese sensors and other equipment to collect photographs, video and other information to transmit to China.
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The findings support a conclusion that the craft was intended for spying, and not for weather monitoring as China had claimed, the report said.
But it appeared the balloon hadn’t sent data from its final eight-day passage over Alaska, Canada and some other contiguous US states back to China, the WSJ said.
The White House and the Federal Bureau of Investigation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In February, the US shot down the balloon, which had flown over sensitive military sites, sparking a diplomatic crisis.
- Reuters with additional editing by Sean O’Meara
Read more:
AI Helps Uncover China Spy Balloon Campaign Evidence – BBC
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Chinese Spy Balloon Sent US Base Intel Back to Beijing: NBC
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US ‘Not The Only Target’ Of Chinese Spy Balloons: Blinken
