An alleged Chinese spy balloon that traversed the US had western-made components with English-language writing on them, members of Congress were told on Capitol Hill Thursday, people familiar with the matter said.
(Bloomberg) — An alleged Chinese spy balloon that traversed the US had western-made components with English-language writing on them, members of Congress were told on Capitol Hill Thursday, people familiar with the matter said.
Biden administration officials briefed lawmakers about the writing behind closed doors, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private information. The officials included representatives from the State and Defense Departments as well as the intelligence community.
The presence of the components was described by several of the people, who declined to elaborate further on exactly which ones were Western-made. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the writing was discovered before the balloon was shot down Saturday or found in the wreckage afterward. Recovery operations for the balloon’s payload continued off the coast of South Carolina.
A spokesperson for the National Security Council declined to comment. The State and Defense Departments didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
Biden administration officials said earlier Thursday that US spy planes had managed to take high-resolution photos of the balloon as it traversed the US. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is combing through the debris, but FBI officials who briefed reporters on Thursday said the review is in its early stages and agents haven’t yet seen the balloon’s main payload.
Senator Marco Rubio, the vice chair of the Intelligence Committee, said after a briefing for senators that one of the key advantages to using balloons instead of other aircraft is that they have the ability to stay on location for long periods of time and provide cheap, continuous intelligence. He played down the technical capabilities of the balloon.
Senator Dan Sullivan, a Republican from Alaska, said one question is whether US or other companies have been helping China build these balloons.
China has rejected allegations of spying, maintaining that the aircraft was a weather balloon that blew off course.
China’s Ministry of Defense said Thursday it has declined to talk with the US about the balloon because “the use of force violates international practice and sets a bad precedent,” according to a statement from spokesman Tan Kefei. “The US hasn’t created a proper atmosphere for dialogue,” he added, calling the downing of what China considers a civilian balloon “irresponsible.”
–With assistance from Steven T. Dennis.
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