A few days after a US military fighter jet shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon hovering over vital assets in the country, a report shows that China has been flying spy balloons targeting other nations. Which include India and Japan. The high-altitude surveillance balloon’s recovery was documented in a sequence of images released by the Pentagon.
According to the Washington Post, “the surveillance balloon effort, which has operated for several years in part from Hainan province off China’s south coast, has gathered information on military assets in countries and areas of emerging strategic interest to China, including Japan, India, Vietnam, Taiwan, and the Philippines.”
According to the report, Wendy Sherman, the deputy secretary of state, notified representatives from around 40 embassies about the balloon’s downing. This information is further on basis of interviews with numerous unnamed defence and intelligence personnel.
Other Instances where the balloon was spotted in the US:
According to officials, these surveillance balloons have also been detected over five continents. They are partially operated by the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) air force.
In addition to the one tracked last week, at least four balloons have been seen over Hawaii, Florida, Texas, and Guam, according to the report, which also noted that three of the four occurrences occurred under the administration of Donald Trump but were only recently identified as Chinese surveillance airships.
President Joe Biden comments on the issue:
On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden gave his second State of the Union Address. He warned the audience that the US will defend itself if Beijing violates its sovereignty. Amid escalating tensions with China over a rumored spy balloon.
“I am committed to working with China where it can advance American interests and benefit the world. But make no mistake: as we made clear last week, if China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country. And we did,” said President Joe Biden.
Should India be worried?
The report tells the China also has surveillance over India. It is problematic for the India as it is surrounded by two countries it has tensions with, Pakistan and China. Surveillance over India can further give the other two nations strategic advantage. Therefore, India must plan something to avoid such tensions from two neighbouring countries.
For more news, click here.
