US official reveals what was found in the Chinese balloon

A senior US official in Washington said on Thursday, that photographs taken by US military aircraft show that the Chinese airship, which flew over the United States, last week, was equipped with spying tools, and was not intended for meteorology.

The senior US State Department official said, on condition of anonymity, that the photos taken by the U2 spy planes indicate that the balloon devices are obviously made for surveillance purposes, and aren’t suitable for weather balloon equipment.

“It housed several antennas, an array likely to be able to collect and locate communications,” he added in a statement.

He pointed out that the airship was equipped with solar panels large enough to supply the energy needed to operate multiple sensors that collect intelligence.

On Saturday, Washington shot down a balloon off its Atlantic coast that had flown over sensitive military sites.

However, Beijing confirmed that it was a civilian balloon used for research purposes, especially in the field of meteorology.

US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, canceled a planned visit to Beijing, a few days ago.

The United States believes that the Chinese army directed the balloon, and it was part of a fleet of balloons that Beijing sent over more than 40 countries on five continents for espionage purposes.

“We’re convinced that the Chinese manufacturer of the balloon has a direct link to the Chinese military,” the senior official said.

Washington is considering taking measures against the Chinese linked to the balloon, which indicates possible sanctions.

The US authorities are still busy collecting the wreckage of the airship in the Atlantic Ocean, near the shores of South Carolina.

Earlier Thursday, China confirmed that it had rejected a phone call from US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Saturday, shortly after the balloon was shot down.

“This seriously irresponsible and wrong act hasn’t created an atmosphere conducive to dialogue and communication between the two armies,” the Chinese Ministry of Defense said in a statement.