Chinese spy balloon flying over the United States, Pentagon says
By: Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart (Reuters)
A suspected Chinese spy balloon has been flying over the United States for a couple of days, and senior U.S. officials have advised President Joe Biden against shooting it down for fear the debris could pose a safety threat.
U2?
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
WASHINGTON, Feb 2 (Reuters) - A suspected Chinese spy balloon has been flying over the United States for a couple of days, and senior U.S. officials have advised President Joe Biden against shooting it down for fear the debris could pose a safety threat.
The incident recalls the lengths to which Beijing and Washington have been willing to go to spy on each other amid rising tensions between the superpowers.
"The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now," Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Patrick Ryder told reporters.
"The balloon is currently traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground."
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, the top Republican on the Senate intelligence committee, said the spy balloon was alarming but not surprising.
"The level of espionage aimed at our country by Beijing has grown dramatically more intense & brazen over the last 5 years," Rubio said on Twitter.
The news broke as CIA Director William Burns was speaking at an event at Washington's Georgetown University, at which he called China the "biggest geopolitical challenge" currently facing the United States.
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Calling Gary Powers.....
With this administration it would be Austin Powers.
Should have shot the thing down as it entered US air space to teach Xi and the CCP a lesson. I'll bet a dollar to a donut it was equipped with real time comm gear relaying info back to China via a satellite. The Chinese never expected to get the balloon and it's electronic gear back.
Yup.
Shades of WWII and the Japanese balloons bombs that ''attacked'' the US.
Fascinating
It's filled with concentrated laughing gas so that when it's shot down the gas will diffuse into the air covering the USA and cause everyone to double up in laughter, and while that is happening the Chinese will invade Taiwan. One thing I must say, if it IS from China (and notwithstanding all the speculation that it is) maybe the lettering on it says "Happy New Year from Huawei". Maybe it's an attempted "false flag" actually sent by Russia. I'm absolutely revelling in seeing the extent of the paranoia about it in America when it's probably no more than a weather balloon gone astray. So get even America - sail an aircraft carrier through the Taiwan Straits and park another one in the South China Sea.
Apparently, China is now saying, "Oh.... Well... It might be ours. We'll check, and get back to you."
Good one! Lol...
Bullshit. China said it was a Chinese civilian weather balloon. IMO, anything other than that is conjecture, and on the part of Canada and the USA, hysterical paranoia or announcements to gain political points.
The CGTN News this morning indicated that it was a Chinese civilian weather balloon/
This from this morning's China Daily:
What else would the "unintended incident" be? Where's the denial, Bob?
Time passes, Buzz. When I posted it, it was true.
Calm, Buzz.
Okay Bob. If i've appeared tense, I've been dealing for a while on the other article about this with comments by others who jump to conclusions.
Dead Calm (that's a movie).
The Aeronauts
CGTN is literal propaganda. It's run by the CCP.
There's a second balloon over Latin America. Another rogue weather balloon? Crazy coincidence but I'm sure the wolf warrior diplomats will have fresh talking points soon.
CGTN is NOT LITERAL propaganda. There is much on CGTN that I personally know for a fact is true because I'm here, and since you're not here you can't POSSIBLY know for a fact the EVERYTHING on it is propaganda. I really don't give a shit WHO runs CGTN - it's the only TV English language news channel available here. Having lived in China for 16 1/2 years I long ago learned to take what people are allowed to watch and read here with a grain of salt. However, every day I read Canadian and American and international web news sites as well. Note what my avatar says.
LOL. A very relevant reference. Good one, Bob.
Do you honestly think the CCP is going to come right out and admit that it was a spy balloon? If it is a spy balloon, of course the CCP is going to say it was weather balloon. Most other countries, including the US would do the same. That's the way the game is played Buzz.
Or, it could actually be what the US says and it really is a Chinese recon balloon. Or do you not even allow for that possiblity?
Sure I do. On the other article about this I said I hoped that America WOULD shoot it down so it could be inspected by an international group, since I don't trust that Americans wouldn't lie about what it really is.
I'd like someone to tell me how it's possible to navigate a balloon with no visible propulsion system that was already over Canada for a few days to SPECIFICALLY fly over a particular target thousands of miles away, otherwise I'm simply going to stick with my opinion that the real problem here is the hysterical paranoia of the Americans
It is called China using the study of meteorology and predicting the prevailing wind patterns and being able to predict in advance where said winds will carry said balloon. I give the example of Japan during WW II and their balloon bombs that were launched, using prevailing Gulf Stream winds, from Japan and used against the US Pacific Northwest. I don't think the Chinese had specific installations in mind. I think it was a hit or miss situation and they were happy to take whatever of value showed up to them. They most likely knew that the balloon would be carried over or near military or high value installations at some point. But this is all speculation on my part.
I wish to correct something I said above. I referenced the Gulf Stream over the Pacific when I actually meant Jet Stream. My apologies to all.
Judging from the kind of weather patterns that have been happening lately, I'd say it would be miraculous to be even close in predicting where the winds would have taken a balloon.
Buzz, you asked a question and I answered it as best I could. China is just as capable of using computer modeling to predict wind patterns in advance as other countries.
Sorry, I agree that you gave a good answer. I just thought that the weather is so unpredictable these days and so extreme that no matter what studies had prepared one to know exactly which way the wind is going to blow is impossible.
Understood.
My first Comment, when posting this seed, referenced Gary Powers. He was the U2 pilot shot down over the USSR, in the midst of the Cuban Missle Crisis.
We were using spies in the skies then... and ever since. Our outrage is kinda weak.
Exactly. The US has spy satellites . The difference between those and this Chinese balloon is elevation.
The outrage is a jingoistic thing. If our military leaders dont think it is necessary or wise to shoot it down, why are "regular" people getting all worked up? Because MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.
The right whines that Biden is too weak to shoot it down. Biden is just following the recommendations of the military leaders, as presidents usually do.
Elevation and linger time over sites effectively shutting down all military intelligence risks in the area it is over while it is there. Satellites, however, have a known orbit and can be timed as to when they are over the area and they are only there for a few minutes and if we wished to destroy a satellite the debris would burn up on reentry, this one would scatter across the land, or maybe not, if it is as claimed a private weather balloon then the instrument pack should, upon separating from the balloon, deploy a parachute/s to safely bring it back down.
Exactly, a violation of sovereign air is such a 20th Century concept,
With two you get egg roll,
The CCP is probably laughing and feeling amazed they got away with it as long as they have.
As I said above, the Chinese do not care about the instrument package. All data has probably been sent real time via a secure data link to a orbiting satellite and then immediately transmitted to China.
Gee, what an absolutely horrible thing for any American to wish for---that America be great.
I suppose some liberals are happy with mediocrity.
Exactly, China wouldn’t be outraged if the situation was reversed.
American satellites overfly China every day. Many times every day.
Biden and Blinken are just being snippy.
There is a LOT of acting....