Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday appeared on the networks to defend Joe Biden’s decision to allow a China spy balloon to soar over military installations and nuclear silos.
Blinken confirmed the China spy balloon was engaging in active surveillance over “very sensitive military sites.”
A China spy balloon floated across US airspace for 7 days straight with Joe Biden’s full approval.
The high-altitude surveillance balloon was spotted over the Aleutian Islands a few weeks ago.
Biden initially refused to shoot down the balloon and allowed it to soar over military installations.
The Pentagon finally shot down the balloon as it soared over the Atlantic Ocean.
The State Department recently said the China spy balloon, which was 200 feet tall and carrying a payload the size of a jet airliner, had the tools to collect communications signals.
The balloon was equipped with antennas and solar panels large enough to produce power to operate “multiple active intelligence collection sensors,” the NY Times reported.
Blinken on Sunday confirmed the spy balloon was engaging in active surveillance.
As the balloon flew eastward “it attempted to surveil very sensitive military sites. In some cases, it loitered or returned to them as it progressed east,” Blinken.
WATCH:
EARLIER: Secretary of State Blinken says “there’s no doubt” that the Chinese balloon was intended for “surveillance.”@SecBlinken: As it flew eastward, “it attempted to surveil very sensitive military sites. In some cases, it loitered or returned to them as it progressed east.” pic.twitter.com/IZuWhb68Yu
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) February 19, 2023
CBS News last Tuesday night reported US Intelligence actually saw the spy balloon lift off near China’s south coast and tracked it for nearly a week before it entered US airspace.
“U.S. intelligence watched the Chinese spy balloon as it lifted off near China’s south coast, meaning the U.S. military had been tracking it for nearly a week before it entered U.S. airspace. Longer than originally know,” CBS News reported.
“What they saw was this balloon heading east from China towards Guam and Hawaii, but then it took a sharp northward turn – a beeline towards Alaska!” CBS reported.