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China's balloon and US fighter jet before launch (February 4)
Photo: RANDALL HILL / REUTERS
For more than a week, the US government has been dealing with the case of the balloon sent from China via the USA, which was allegedly used for espionage purposes.
The emergence over US territory has further strained the already strained relations between the two countries.
Now US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks of an extensive surveillance program.
"The United States was not the only target of this broad program that violated the sovereignty of countries on five continents," said Blinken on Wednesday at a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Washington.
The United States had exchanged information with dozens of countries.
Blinken did not provide any more specific information.
The day before, US media had already reported on such a spy network - so now the official confirmation follows.
On Saturday, the US military shot down the balloon off the coast of the state of South Carolina over the Atlantic.
The US government accuses China of wanting to spy on military installations.
Beijing, on the other hand, spoke of a civilian research balloon that had gone off course and of an "overreaction".
In view of the dispute, Blinken canceled a trip to Beijing at short notice.
The Foreign Minister pointed out that parts of the downed balloon were still being recovered.
"We're analyzing them to learn more about the surveillance program." This information would be linked to intelligence gathered while the balloon was still in American airspace.
Blinken added, "We'll have more to say about that in the coming days."
NATO chief urges vigilance
Stoltenberg added that the balloon confirmed "a pattern in Chinese behavior."
The People's Republic has invested heavily in new military capabilities, including surveillance and reconnaissance.
Increased secret service activities can also be observed in Europe.
The Chinese used satellites, cyber skills and, of course, balloons.
"So we have to be vigilant," the Norwegian warned.
After discovering the balloon over the United States, China said it was a civil balloon for meteorological purposes that had gone off course.
US officials have firmly denied this account, insisting it was a spy balloon.
Another specimen had been discovered over Latin America.
China recently apologized to the Costa Rican government for the overflight.
However, Beijing also stated that it was allegedly a balloon for scientific purposes, primarily weather studies.
jok/dpa