U.S. military recovers electronic sensors from downed Chinese balloon


The United States says it has now retrieved key electronics, including sensors, from the suspected Chinese spy balloon it shot down earlier this month — a development that comes as new evidence emerged of past balloon sightings over other countries.

“Crews have been able to recover significant debris from the site, including all of the priority sensor and electronics pieces identified as well as large sections of the structure,” the U.S. military’s Northern Command said in a statement Monday. It added that recovery operations were continuing, though bad weather was hampering the underwater search.

The balloon spent days flying over the United States and Canada before President Joe Biden ordered it to be shot down Feb 4. off the coast of South Carolina, sparking a search of a vast debris field. China has maintained it was a civilian airship conducting meteorological research that veered off course, but the saga has further strained relations between the world’s two largest economies.

Japan, a close U.S. ally that has seen its own ties with China deteriorate, also entered the fray Tuesday.

Tokyo said it now assessed that Chinese surveillance balloons had entered its airspace on at least three occasions in recent years.

“As a result of further analysis of balloon-shaped flying objects confirmed over Japan’s airspace in the past, including those sighted in November 2019, June 2020, and September 2021, we have concluded that the balloons in question are strongly presumed to be unmanned reconnaissance balloons flown by China,” Japan’s defense ministry said in a statement.

Tokyo added that it had sought clarification and urged Beijing to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

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