The U.S. announced on the 9th (local time) that a surveillance antenna was found on a Chinese reconnaissance balloon that was shot down by invading U.S. airspace. It is a direct refutation of China’s claim that it is a weather observation instrument. In addition, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was behind the Chinese reconnaissance balloon that invaded the airspace of 40 countries on five continents, predicting a strong response.
It is known that parts believed to have been manufactured in the West have been found in Chinese reconnaissance balloon equipment, and the US is expected to further raise the level of technology regulation against China.
The U.S. Department of State analyzed high-resolution images taken by two U-2 reconnaissance planes prior to the downing of the reconnaissance balloon on the same day and said, “The reconnaissance balloon was equipped with multiple antennas for communication collection and positioning, and was capable of producing the power required to operate multiple active sensors for information collection. Solar panels were installed,” he said. The U.S. Department of Defense and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are collecting the remnants of the reconnaissance balloon to find out what the target was and what information was collected.
After the U.S. government held a closed-door briefing in Congress that day, Marco Rubio, vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said, “Balloons have the advantage of being able to stay in the area for a long time (than other reconnaissance aircraft), being cheaper, and providing information continuously.”
Along with sanctions against Chinese companies involved in scout balloons, the US is paying attention to the connection between private companies and the Chinese Communist Party and whether Western technology is used in scout balloons. Republican Senator Dan Sullivan said, “One question is whether the United States or other companies helped build Chinese (reconnaissance) balloons.” In this regard, Bloomberg News reported at a closed briefing that day that parts suspected of being made in the West appeared to have been identified because English was written among the equipment of the reconnaissance balloon.
The New York Times (NYT) reported that the US government may announce regulations within two months that will block not only technology export controls to China, but also ‘dollar’ investment in Chinese technology companies. According to the New York Times, the regulation is likely to include a complete ban on investments in quantum computers, artificial intelligence (AI) in the field of military and security technology, and advanced semiconductors. Expanding capital investment regulations is expected to limit foreign investment in Chinese tech companies, including TikTok’s parent company ByteDance. The NYT reported that US President Joe Biden will discuss with the European Union (EU) and others to gain support from allies for additional sanctions against China.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman appeared at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the same day and said, “The United States will continue to block China from using American technology to modernize its armed forces,” stressing that it will respond in coordination with South Korea and other major G7 allies. .
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Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.