U.S. Officials: Chinese Spy Balloon Did Not Transmit Data

A new report released Thursday morning changes the narrative on the Chinese spy balloon and its construction. It was originally a controversial balloon that was allowed to drift unhindered across the U.S.

ABC News reported that unnamed U.S. officials told them the balloon was made of American parts and was shot down after reaching the Atlantic in February. This raises concerns about the black market trade in U.S. chip products, which are not allowed to be sold in certain countries, such as China.

Officials told the news agency that the balloon didn’t transmit data as was previously believed.

ABC News has confirmed that the Chinese spy balloon shot down in early February over the Atlantic Ocean was at least partially built using American-made parts.

The Wall Street Journal reported that a second U.S. official confirmed the initial report. It appears the balloon has not transmitted any data collected during its flight above North America.

The first official was unable to confirm whether the American equipment was illegally sold to China, but he said that determining if any of it was from illicit trade was of great concern to officials because some items — such as chips — are prohibited to be sold to certain markets.

The initial revelation that the balloon transmitted data to the Chinese was a black eye for the Biden administration. They had insisted the balloon was harmless. It was almost certain that the balloon collected data while it drifted unimpeded across the United States.

It is not clear what it intends to do with the data. The first time it was made public was when it was seen near a military base. There were then calls for it to be shot down. Biden’s administration refused to take action, claiming that it could harm civilians below. This led to the plane making a long journey across the U.S. before it was shot down above the Atlantic coast.

The Biden administration has since then made some revelations regarding their response to China. This has shed light on the way they intend to treat China. Leaked emails revealed that certain members of the Biden administration tried to protect China in order to maintain a stable relationship.

Blinken’s lackeys, in other words, halted major trade and human rights measures instead of punishing China over its outrageously provocative violation of US airspace. This included actions already planned to sanction Chinese tech firms like Huawei and combat China’s genocidal treatment of Uyghurs.

The worst is yet to come. Wendy Sherman, Blinken’s second-in-command, is reportedly responsible for the US policy towards China, even though Blinken was in charge.

Wendy Sherman: Who is she? Wendy Sherman is the China-loving official that led the lobbying against the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act 2021. Blinken is not only negligent in his duty by entrusting the most important US foreign policy issue to an underling but also by giving those duties to someone who has a history of being soft on China.

To the dismay of Republicans in Congress who are seeking answers, the administration hasn’t revealed much information about its investigation into the balloon. There have been many calls for information to be released, but little has actually been done.

However, the concern about American-made components signals a change in narrative, as it brings to light one of the lesser-discussed issues surrounding Chinese innovation, namely, that it was built on stolen American technology. China is known for stealing American technology, patenting it, and using it to advance its country. The result has been a number of issues for American companies. Many had done business in China but are now preparing to leave.

American officials are concerned that the Chinese military is using stolen technology and data. If the balloon used American-made components – which are not supposed to be sold in Chinese markets – then this suggests that China has a larger operation to obtain American tech and bring it back home, bypassing regulations.