FACT CHECK: China’s Misleading Attempt to Pass the Spy Balloon Off as a Weather Surveyor

A suspected Chinese spy balloon dominated headlines for days before the US government shot it down on February 4. China called the downing of the balloon an obvious overreaction. The previous day, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said in a statement, the airship is from China. It is a civilian airship used for research, mainly meteorological purposes, affected by the westerlies and with limited self-steering capability. The airship deviated far from its planned course. That is misleading. The US government rejected the Chinese characterization of the balloon, with a Pentagon spokesperson saying there was no doubt it was a surveillance balloon.

According to the Associated Press, the Pentagon was able to analyze how it moved and what it was capable of surveilling. The balloon seemed to have the capability to be maneuvered out of the US after its presence became publicly known. Citing a US official, Reuters reported the Chinese balloon had propellers and rudders and loitered over certain sites, apparently including three US military bases. A US official told AP it carried equipment unlike that used for meteorological or civilian research, while US meteorologists said it did not look like a typical weather balloon.

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