China appears to have suspended its surveillance balloon program following a major diplomatic incident earlier this year, when one of the country’s high-altitude spy balloons transited the United States, multiple sources familiar with US intelligence assessments told CNN.

US officials believe that Chinese leaders have made a deliberate decision not to launch additional balloons since the one over the US was shot down by American fighter jets in February, the sources said. The US has not observed any new launches since the episode occurred.

The apparent suspension of the program comes as both the US and China have sought to stabilize an increasingly tense relationship. Asked for comment on the balloon program, Chinese embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu told CNN that the February episode was “unexpected” and “isolated.”

  • TWeaK@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    China has stated repeatedly that the balloon is found to be an unmanned civilian airship used for meteorological and other research purposes, and that its accidental entry into US airspace is entirely an unexpected, isolated incident caused by force majeure

    No mention of the fact that this was only one of many balloons China set loose around the world.

    • Cylusthevirus@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      You gotta wonder what they’re really getting from that payload. I wonder if it’s actually a probe to see which nations have the capability to notice their balloons and will to deal with them.

      • TWeaK@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        I reckon it’s measuring radio signals in general. Trackin yo wifi

        • piecat@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Everyone carries around a device in their hand that does that. All your apps track you, at least one sells to China.