Page 5 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - September 2023
P. 5

China’s Vast Aerial Surveillance Program 5






          Chinese Balloon Part Of

           Vast Aerial Surveillance

               Program, U.S. Says




           Spy balloon effort operates in
            Hainan province off China’s

           south coast and has for years
         collected information on military
             assets in several countries,

                       officials said




        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, according to several
                                                         Republic of China.                               official.
        U.S. officials, who, like others
                                                                                                          The official flatly rejected China’s
        interviewed for this story, spoke on the
                                                         In Japan in 2020, an aerial orb drew assertion that the airship moving over the
        condition of anonymity because of the
                                                         speculation. “Some people thought this United States was a weather balloon
        matter’s sensitivity.
                                                         was a UFO,” said a Japanese official. “In blown off course. “This is false,” the
                                                         hindsight people are realizing that was a official said. “This was a PRC
        Officials have said these surveillance
                                                         Chinese espionage balloon. But at that surveillance balloon.  This surveillance
        airships, operated in part by the PLA air
                                                         time it was purely novel — nobody had balloon purposefully traversed the United
        force, have been spotted over five
                                                         seen this. … So there’s a lot of States and Canada. And we are confident
        continents.
                                                         heightened attention at this time.”              it was seeking to monitor sensitive
                                                                                                          military sites.”
        “What the Chinese have done is taken an
                                                         While most of China’s long-range
        unbelievably old technology, and
                                                         surveillance efforts are conducted by its Some commentators have made light of
        basically married it with modern
                                                         expanding military satellite array, PLA the Chinese effort, noting that balloons
        communications          and      observation
                                                         planners have identified what they are not the most high-tech of platforms.
        capabilities” to try to glean intelligence
                                                         consider to be an opportunity to conduct But others caution against dismissing the
        on other nations’ militaries, said one
                                                         surveillance from the upper atmosphere balloons’ potential.
        official. “It’s a massive effort.”
                                                         at altitudes above where commercial jets
                                                         fly, using balloons that fly between “For those who have a sanguine view
        On Monday, Deputy Secretary of State
                                                         60,000 and 80,000 feet or higher, about the actual intelligence collection
        Wendy Sherman led a briefing on China’s
                                                         officials said.                                  capabilities of this balloon, I think
        balloon espionage for some 150 people
                                                                                                          they’re underestimating the creative ways
        from about 40 embassies, said a senior
                                                         Analysts still don’t know the size of the the PLA might use it either for
        administration official familiar with the
                                                         balloon fleet, but there have been intelligence and surveillance purposes, or
        matter. The department has also sent to
                                                         “dozens” of missions since 2018, said as a platform for weapons,” said Rep.
        every      U.S.      Embassy        “detailed
                                                         one U.S. official. They take advantage of Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), chairman of
        information” on the espionage that can be
                                                         technology provided by a private Chinese the Select Committee on China, who was
        shared with allies and partners.
                                                         company that is part of the country’s commenting on public remarks made by
                                                         civil-military fusion effort — a program Pentagon officials over the weekend.
        Separately, U.S. officials have begun to
                                                         by which private companies develop
        share specifics with officials in countries
                                                         technologies and capabilities used by the In recent years, at least four balloons
        such as Japan whose military facilities
                                                         PLA.                                             have been spotted over Hawaii, Florida,
        were targeted by Beijing.
                                                                                                          Texas and Guam — in addition to the one
                                                         In a news briefing Saturday, senior tracked last week.
        “There has been great interest in this on
                                                         Pentagon officials alluded to the PLA                                (Continued on Page 6)
        the part of our allies and partners,” said a
                                                         program, noting that balloons had been
        senior administration official.                                                                      THE ‘X’ ZONE RADIO/TV SHOW
                                                         operating elsewhere in the  Western
                                                                                                                               with
                                                         Hemisphere. “These balloons are all part
        “Many of them recognize that they, too,                                                                       ROB McCONNELL
                                                         of a PRC fleet of balloons developed to
        may be vulnerable or susceptible to this                                                               can be heard at www.XZBN.net
                                                         conduct surveillance operations, which
        or an object of interest to the PRC,” the                                                                         and seen on
                                                         also violated the sovereignty of other
        official said, referring to the People’s                                                                  www.SimulTV.com - CH32
                                                         countries,” said one senior defense
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