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

J. Scott Applewhite

WASHINGTON (AP) — 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 targeted more than 40 countries, the Biden administration said Thursday, citing imagery from American U-2 spy planes.

A fleet of balloons operates under the direction of the People's Liberation Army and is used specifically for spying, outfitted with high-tech equipment designed to collect sensitive information from targets across the globe, the U.S. said. Similar balloons have floated over five continents, according to the administration.

The statement from a senior State Department official offered the most detail to date linking China’s military to the balloon that was shot down by the U.S. last weekend over the Atlantic Ocean. The public details outlining the program's scope and capabilities are meant to refute China’s persistent denials that the balloon was used for spying, including a claim Thursday that U.S. accusations about the balloon amount to “information warfare” against Beijing.

On Capitol Hill, the House voted unanimously to condemn the balloon program as a “brazen violation” of U.S. sovereignty. Republicans have criticized President Joe Biden for not acting sooner to down...

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