Chinese air balloon: In January 2023, a sizable, unidentified white balloon that purportedly contained surveillance gear flew over US soil. A comparable Chinese high-altitude balloon (HAB) for surveillance was shot down by the US over the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of South Carolina. Since then, reports of additional balloon sightings over Latin America have been made. Modern radars have a hard time picking up the balloons, which can fly up to 68,000 metres in the air. In order to gather data and information on military assets in nations and regions of strategic interest, such as India, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Philippines, China has been flying a fleet of spy balloons over numerous nations on five continents.
Unidentified white balloon spotted over US territory
The balloons were created to gather information and infringe on the sovereignty of the targeted nations. They are thought to be a part of the enigmatic “Stratospheric Army,” the CCP’s fifth PLA force. One important “delivery platform” for covert nuclear strikes is thought to have been the high-altitude balloons that passed over military installations in several nations. The state-owned media in China uses propaganda to mask the growing controversy. These surveillance airships are a product of years of research and development by China in the field of balloon surveillance, which is a joint air force effort of the People’s Liberation Army.
China’s spy balloons used to violate the sovereignty of targeted countries
These high-altitude balloons are produced in China using a lot of helium to support President Xi Jinping’s desire for a “world-class” military to protect Beijing’s ascent to superpower status. The nation’s first significant helium plant, capable of producing helium on a commercial scale, was designed and constructed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The construction of the helium plant is the first step in China’s efforts to import less from the US. Although it won’t meet all of China’s needs, it will produce more than enough to support Xi’s plans for increased military power. The facility is reasonably priced and might hold the key to China mass producing additional helium plants in order to meet the nation’s 4,300 tonnes yearly helium consumption.
Spy balloon fiasco could lead to additional US sanctions on helium.
The controversy surrounding the balloons has revealed China’s capacity for military surveillance. Since sensors and other electronic equipment have been recovered by the US from the debris, it is likely that the balloon was used to eavesdrop on electronic signals. Further examination of the debris revealed that the balloon was part of a sizable, military-connected aerial surveillance programme that was equipped to detect and gather intelligence signals. Targeted nations view the high-altitude balloons as a threat and a violation of their sovereignty, and the spy balloon incident may result in further US sanctions, particularly with regard to helium.
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