Footage captured by US military aircraft shows that the Chinese balloon that flew over the United States last week was indeed equipped with spy tools, not intended for weather forecasting, an official in Washington said Thursday.
Photos taken by U2 spy planes indicate that the balloon equipment “was clearly made for observation for spy purposes, and does not fit with weather balloon equipment”, said this senior official of the US State Department, on condition of anonymity.
“It had many antennas, a set probably capable of collecting and geo-locating communications,” he added in a statement.
The balloon “was equipped with solar panels large enough to provide the energy necessary to operate multiple sensors collecting intelligence”, he further specified.
Washington on Saturday shot down a balloon off its Atlantic coast that had flown over sensitive military sites and described by Beijing as a “civilian aircraft used for research purposes, mainly meteorological”.
This diplomatic clash had led the head of American diplomacy Antony Blinken to postpone a rare visit to China.
The United States believes the balloon was controlled by the Chinese military and was part of a fleet of balloons sent by Beijing over more than 40 countries on five continents for espionage purposes.
“We are convinced that the manufacturer of the balloon has a direct link with the Chinese army,” added this senior official.
He said Washington was weighing possible action against Chinese insiders linked to the ball — which could point to possible sanctions ahead.
The American authorities are still busy collecting the debris from the balloon in the Atlantic, near the coast of South Carolina.
Earlier Thursday, China confirmed it declined a phone call from Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin on Saturday, shortly after the balloon was destroyed.
“This irresponsible and seriously erroneous act has not created a climate conducive to dialogue and exchanges between the two armies”, justified the Chinese Ministry of Defense in a press release.