A US official revealed that the Chinese spy balloon, which traversed the United States in early 2023, used an American internet service provider to transmit periodic data related to navigation and location back to China, CNN reported.
This connection emerged as one of the mechanisms by which the US intelligence agencies were able to follow the balloon’s location and obtain important information during its trip.
While the identity of the exact internet service provider is unknown, CNN was informed that the balloon was capable of communicating with Beijing while it traversed the United States.
According to NBC News, the balloon communicated using a US network.
US shoots down Chinese spy balloon storing intelligence data
The network connection, according to the US official, was not used to transfer intelligence data back to China. Instead, the balloon saved such data, including pictures and other information, for later retrieval. The US successfully shot down the Chinese surveillance balloon in February, allowing for a thorough examination of the data stored.
The FBI and the Director of National Intelligence both declined to comment on the situation. CNN requested a comment from the Chinese Embassy in Washington.
China has continuously maintained that the balloon was a meteorological balloon that had deviated from its intended path.
According to CNN, the US intelligence community believes the spy balloon was part of a larger surveillance campaign sponsored by the Chinese military. The balloon fleet had conducted over two dozen missions across at least five continents in recent years, according to US officials.
While the US felt that Chinese Communist Party leaders did not intend for the balloon to cross into the US, previous reports indicated that CCP leaders scolded the surveillance program operators over the event.
President Joe Biden stated in June that the presence of the balloon caught Chinese leader Xi Jinping off guard, saying that Xi “got very upset” when the US took it down because “he didn’t know it was there.”
According to CNN, Biden compared dictators becoming embarrassed when they are unaware of key developments.