An unidentified Chinese balloon, which was subsequently shot down over the coast of the US state of South Carolina, failed to collect a significant amount of important intelligence about the United States. This statement was made by the coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council (NSC) of the White House, John Kirby, during a briefing on Friday, February 17.
“Not a single American in the sky was hurt. Not a single American citizen on earth was harmed. No significant amount of intelligence was collected by the Chinese balloon, ”Kirby emphasized.
Earlier in the day, Reuters reported that the US military had completed the search for the wreckage of a Chinese balloon that was shot down off the coast of South Carolina. The details will be sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for analysis.
Earlier, on February 16, US President Joe Biden said that unidentified aircraft shot down over the United States were not related to China’s intelligence programs. According to him, at the moment the main version is that the objects were balloons of private companies or research centers.
On the night of February 3, a huge balloon was seen in the sky over American territory. The next day it became known that the object was shot down off the east coast of the country on the orders of US President Joe Biden. The Pentagon said it examined the equipment on the balloon, establishing that it was used for intelligence gathering by China.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said that Beijing opposes the attacks and slander of Washington after the “accidental” hit of a Chinese balloon in the United States. According to the representative of the department, the balloon was indeed brought by the wind from the territory of China, but we are talking about a civilian airship, which was used for scientific research and should not have been over the States.
