US says China balloon could collect intelligence signals

By MATTHEW LEE and ERIC TUCKER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration says the China balloon shot down by the U.S. was equipped to collect intelligence signals as part of a huge, military-linked aerial spy program that has targeted more than 40 countries. In a statement Thursday, the administration cited imagery of the balloon from American U-2 spy planes. Meanwhile, the U.S. House voted unanimously to condemn China’s actions. The administration statement from a senior State Department official offered the most detail to date linking China’s People’s Liberation Army to the balloon that traversed the United States. The public details are meant to refute China’s persistent denials of wrongdoing, including a claim Thursday that U.S. accusations about the balloon amount to “information warfare” against Beijing.