11.02.2023
A person familiar with the matter revealed to the US media that US intelligence agencies have developed a method to track Chinese spy balloons. This technology has been put into use last year and can track these balloons around the world in near real time. Some experts commented that the spy balloon incident is not necessarily a bad thing.
(Voice of Deutsche Welle Chinese Network) Six people familiar with the matter revealed to CNN that US intelligence agencies have developed technology to track the Chinese surveillance balloon discovered last year. The media pointed out that after Biden took office in 2021, a Chinese spy balloon briefly passed over the United States. The intelligence agency analyzed some signals of the balloon based on intelligence and other data to understand where they may have appeared in the past and time.
The discovery of the balloons led the United States to develop a new technique that would allow the balloons to be tracked around the globe in near real time, the sources said. CNN pointed out that the exposure of the tracking method may further provoke criticism from the Republican Party, accusing the government of not acting quickly to prevent the balloon from entering US airspace last week. U.S. officials declined to say how the signals were collected or how long it took intelligence agencies to develop the method, which is first used in 2022.
China called it a “weather airship”, while the United States regarded it as a “spy balloon”. But Washington believes that Xi may not have known about the balloon mission. According to CNN, the U.S. Congress has received relevant assessment briefings. Analysts pointed out that if this is true, it shows that there is a clear lack of coordination within China at a time when Sino-U.S. relations are tense.
Despite the tension between China and the United States, experts do not believe that the balloon incident will trigger a break between the two rivals. The relationship between the two sides is currently frozen. According to the US Department of Defense, Defense Secretary Austin proposed to the Chinese side last Saturday that he hoped to talk to the Chinese Defense Minister about the high-altitude balloon, but was rejected. A spokesman for China’s defense ministry said the reason for the refusal was that Washington had not provided an “appropriate atmosphere” for exchanges and dialogue.
Hanns Günther Hilpert, a China expert at the Berlin-based German Science and Political Foundation (SWP), pointed out in an interview that Beijing has also closed diplomatic channels in previous similar cases. “This is of course a dangerous and worrying tactic, as direct channels of communication prevent misunderstandings that could lead to confrontation,” he said. “The so-called hotline, in case of doubt, is the last resort to prevent the worst from happening.” Hilpert believes that it is clear that China is trying to exert diplomatic pressure on the United States in this way. However, he also added that Beijing’s decision to refuse dialogue is also a political signal to the country. Beijing’s top leaders hope to show their strength to the domestic people in this way and show that they will not bow to the pressure of the United States. He pointed out: “The crisis about the balloon has been hyped up in the media, but it is far less serious than the tension caused by the Taiwan issue … China can invade Taiwan at any time, not necessarily using force, maybe through a blockade. Then we will see The response of the United States, which is much more critical than the spy balloon crisis.” The Taiwan issue increases the risk for the United States and China, which may have disastrous consequences, and the parties have no interest in military confrontation: “They know that if they use force, It’s a lose-lose. The economic collateral damage will also be huge, and it will affect much of the world. That’s why the international community is willing to contain the crisis.”
Johann Fuhrman of the Adenauer Foundation in Germany believes that spy balloons are not necessarily a bad thing. China and the United States spy on each other: “If one side knows what the other is doing and can draw conclusions about its intentions, this provides some This security and predictability prevents the worst-case scenario – open confrontation.”
Political situation |
03.02.2023
(comprehensive report)
© 2023 Deutsche Welle Copyright Statement: All content in this article is protected by copyright law and may not be used without special authorization from Deutsche Welle. Any wrongdoing will result in recovery and be subject to criminal prosecution.