by Paul Farrell and Harriet Alexander at Daily Mail
- The Chinese spy balloon shot down over US airspace was one of ‘dozens’
- The balloons are a ‘massive part’ of China’s elaborate espionage programs
- Chinese officials have not spoken to US counterparts since the destruction
The Chinese spy balloon that was shot down by a US fighter jet off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday was the product of a factory based out of a naval base on a remote island in the Communist nation, it has been revealed.
A new report from the Washington Post details that the airship, which triggered a dramatic, and public, spying saga that worsened Chinese-U.S. relations, has been a key part of Beijing’s intelligence operations for years.
The report says that the Chinese military has previously sent balloons into the airspace of geopolitical rivals such as Japan, India and the Philippines.
The Pentagon earlier said that at least four other balloons were previously detected over US airspace, in Hawaii, Florida, Texas and Guam, three of those were during Donald Trump’s presidency.
Last Friday, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken postponed his trip to China hours before he was due to leave because of the balloon. While on Tuesday, China’s defense minster rejected an overture from US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to discuss the events of the last week…
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