New images show Chinese spy balloons flying over Asia years ago: report
By Mahmoud Bennett (Reporter/Producer)
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New photos are adding to evidence that Chinese spy balloons have been flying over parts of Asia for several years, well before a February incident where the U.S. shot down a balloon over its own territory. The recent report by the BBC uncovered multiple satellite photos depicting spy balloons traversing over Japan and Taiwan.
Japan, a close ally of the United States, had previously voiced strong suspicions of surveillance balloons entering its territory at least three times since 2019. The country has said in the future it is prepared to shoot down any such balloons in its airspace.
Japan hosts more American forces than any other foreign country.
Moreover, the BBC reported that the Taiwanese weather service captured a photograph in 2021 of a balloon crossing over the capital city, Taipei.
Taiwan’s government denied it was an intelligence-gathering aircraft. However, Corey Jaskolski, who works for an artificial intelligence company which sifts through data captured by satellites, told the BBC the balloon’s diameter and altitude was similar to the ones that flew over the U.S. and Japan.
“Just based on the diameter of the balloon and the fact that the operating altitudes look similar… that looks an awful lot like the balloon that flew over the United States, over Japan,” Jaskolski said.
Taiwan’s status as a self-governing island claiming independence makes it a focal point in growing tensions between Washington and Beijing. The Chinese military recently conducted a full-scale attack rehearsal targeting Taiwan.
President Joe Biden has said the U.S. would defend Taiwan if China invaded. However, the U.S. administration maintains that it does “not support” Taiwan’s independence, as reiterated by Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his recent trip to China.
As of June 27, China has not directly addressed the recent images purportedly showing its balloons hovering over parts of Asia.
However, Beijing has pointed the finger at the United States, accusing it of releasing a large number of high-altitude balloons worldwide for illegal surveillance. U.S. officials have denied those allegations.
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THERE IS NEW PHOTO EVIDENCE THIS WEEK THAT CHINESE SPY BALLOONS HAVE BEEN FLYING OVER PARTS OF ASIA FOR YEARS … WELL BEFORE AMERICAN OFFICIALS SHOT DOWN THE BALLOON HOVERING OVER THE U.S.
THAT’S ACCORDING TO A NEW REPORT BY THE BBC WHICH UNCOVERED SEVERAL OLD SATELLITE PHOTOS THAT SEEMINGLY SHOW SPY BALLOONS TRAVERSING OVER PARTS OF JAPAN AND TAIWAN
JAPAN IS ONE OF AMERICA’S CLOSEST ALLIES AND THERE ARE MORE U.S. TROOPS STATIONED THERE THAN ANY OTHER PLACE IN THE WORLD… EARLIER THIS YEAR JAPAN ALREADY SAID THAT IT QUOTE STRONGLY SUSPECTED SURVEILLANCE BALLOONS HAD ENTERED THEIR TERRITORY AT LEAST THREE TIMES SINCE 2019…
JAPAN HAS STATED THAT IN THE FUTURE IT IS PREPARED TO SHOOT DOWN ANY OF THESE BALLOONS IN THEIR AIRSPACE
MEANWHILE THE TAIWANESE WEATHER SERVICE SNAPPED *THIS PICTURE* OF A BALLOON CROSSING OVER ITS CAPITAL TAIPEI IN 2021… TAIWANESE OFFICIALS SAID THEY THOUGHT IT WAS A WEATHER BALLOON AT THE TIME
BUT EXPERTS DISAGREE. THEY SAY IT CLOSELY RESEMBLES THE CONFIRMED INTELLIGENCE GATHERING BALLOON THAT WAS IDENTIFIED OVER THE U.S. IN JANUARY
TAIWAN IS VIEWED AS THE COLLISION COURSE BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND BEIJING AS THE SELF GOVERNING ISLAND CLAIMS ITS OWN INDEPENDENCE –
THE CHINESE MILITARY RECENTLY CARRIED OUT A REHEARSAL OF A FULL SCALE ATTACK ON TAIWAN… WHILE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN HAS SAID THE US WOULD DEFEND TAIWAN IF IT WERE ATTACKED, HIS ADMINISTRATION MAINTAINS IT DOES NOT SUPPORT TAIWANESE INDEPENDENCE
AS OF JUNE 27TH CHINA HAS NOT DIRECTLY ADDRESSED THESE RECENT IMAGES PURPORTEDLY SHOWING THEIR BALLOONS HOVERING OVER PARTS OF ASIA – THOUGH BEIJING HAS POINTED THE FINGER ACCUSING THE US ITSELF OF RELEASING A LARGE NUMBER OF HIGH ALTITUDE BALLOONS AROUND THE GLOBE TO ILLEGALLY SURVEIL CHINESE TERRITORIES – SOMETHING US OFFICIALS HAVE VEHEMENTLY DENIED
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