Published February 08,2023
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China is ramping up its spying actions in Europe, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned Wednesday as tensions worsen between Washington and Beijing over a suspected surveillance balloon.
Stoltenberg stated the plane’s discovery over the continental US “confirms a pattern of Chinese behavior where we see that China over the last years has invested heavily in new military capabilities, including different types of surveillance and intelligence platforms.”
“We’re also seeing increased Chinese intelligence activities in Europe. Again, different platforms. They use satellites, they use cyber, and as we’ve seen over the United States, also balloons,” he informed reporters throughout a joint press convention with Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
“So we just have to be vigilant. We need to be aware of the constant risk of Chinese intelligence and then step up, what do we do to protect ourself, and we need also to react in a in a prudent, responsible and vigilant way,” he added.
The US shot down the balloon on Saturday off the coast of South Carolina in US territorial waters after it had transited a lot of the nation.
Beijing has admitted its possession of the plane, however stated it was used for meteorological analysis and calling Washington’s choice to down it “unacceptable and irresponsible.”
The balloon’s discovery prompted Blinken to name off a deliberate weekend go to to China, and postpone it till unspecified situations are met.
Speaking alongside Stoltenberg, the US high diplomat stated American groups are persevering with work to salvage the particles, and are persevering with to collect intelligence from the remnants, in addition to what was noticed in the course of the balloon’s transit.
“As to who was responsible for that, China is and it doesn’t matter, on one level, which individuals may or may not have been responsible, the fact is, China engaged in this irresponsible action in violation of our sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and international law,” he stated.
Additional info on the balloon will likely be shared with the general public “in the days ahead,” Blinken added.
Source: www.anews.com.tr
