What they found in the Chinese spy balloon shot down by the US: some of the equipment was US-made

According to preliminary inquiries obtained exclusively by the press Wall Street JournalThe Chinese globe was actually collected Photos and videos, but apparently unable to send information Collected.

China’s foreign ministry accused Washington of exaggerating the balloon incident. A meteorological instrument It was blown away by the wind.

The episode reverberated in American domestic politics as well. Some Republican senators, such as Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Marco Rubio of Florida, criticized the Biden administration for delaying the release of a report on the contents of the Chinese balloon.

Officials quoted in the WJS report confirm it The machine is loaded with American-made accessories, some of which are sold online, helped him collect photos, videos and other information. US authorities have identified purchase orders for this US-made equipment.

Analysis conducted by intelligence agencies in conjunction with the FBI indicates that US teams Also connected with specialized Chinese sensors and other equipment The information he collects must be sent to China.

The balloon is suspended A satellite-like device with sensors, Solar panels To provide power and other equipment to capture photos, videos and radar data. With a propeller, the craft can maneuver and stay in one spot for long periods of time, depending on the weather, officials said.

According to officials cited by the WSJ, the findings support that conclusion The ship was designed for reconnaissance and not weather observationAs Beijing has said from the start.

The balloon was able to travel The eight-day tour covers Alaska, Canada, and part of the United States Before being shot down off the coast of South Carolina.

Officials cited by the WSJ did not say whether the device had malfunctioned, although the Pentagon confirmed the US military had taken steps to prevent the balloon from gathering sensitive information.

Preliminary report on Chinese spy balloon investigation Distributed to US defense and intelligence agencies in March, according to the New York newspaper. No official response has yet been given on the findings.

Although the general conclusion indicates that the balloon was destined for observation and reconnaissance work, the ship may have deviated from its original course, according to one official familiar with the report.

In a phone conversation with Xi Jinping during a fund-raising event in California, after ordering the balloon to be shot down, the Chinese leader told him, “I did it. I didn’t know it was there” and “he was so embarrassed.”

In recent weeks, the Biden administration and the Communist leadership have taken up the thread of diplomacy, saying they want to put the bitter balloon episode behind them.

“That chapter needs to be closed,” Blinken told NBC television last week during a visit to Beijing that was rescheduled because of the incident.