China Ends Spy Balloon Operations Following US Incident
Chinese spy balloon operations have reportedly been halted, seven months after one of their balloons was discovered in US airspace. Sources familiar with the situation informed CNN that Chinese leaders made the decision to cease launching additional balloons after one was shot down by the US in February. Since then, no new launches have been observed by US officials.
According to Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese embassy, the incident in February was unexpected and isolated. Liu stated to CNN, “China has repeatedly asserted that the balloon, found to be an unmanned civilian airship used for meteorological and other research purposes, accidentally entered US airspace due to force majeure.”
US intelligence officials believe that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) did not intend for the balloon to cross into US skies. The balloon originated from the Chinese province of Hainan, traversing Alaska, Canada, and gradually moving towards Idaho and Montana.
The balloon was shot down by American fighter jets off the coast of South Carolina on February 4. The FBI conducted an analysis of the aerial remains, and the Pentagon confirmed that no intelligence was gathered.
CNN reported that the duration of the suspension on China’s spy balloon operations is currently unknown. Christopher Johnson, a former senior China analyst at the CIA and current senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, suggested that it may depend on the outcome of a potential meeting between President Biden and CCP leader Xi Jinping. Both leaders are expected to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco in November.
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