[Global Issue+] How Did China's Reconnaissance Balloons Spread Worldwide? "Can Fly for a Month"

"Balloon Development Center Exists Across Inner Mongolia"
"Equipped with Solar Panels and Motors"

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The Chinese spy balloon that sparked diplomatic tensions between the United States and China has been found not only in China but also across 5 continents and 40 countries, according to the U.S. government, causing a major controversy. While China continues to claim it is a weather observation balloon, the U.S. government has refuted this by stating that the balloon was equipped with solar panels, motors, and its own propulsion system capable of changing direction.

In particular, attention is growing toward the Inner Mongolia region, known as the cradle of China’s spy balloon fleet, including the balloon in question. Given the reality in China where it is virtually impossible to separate academia, private companies, and the government, even if the balloon was purely for scientific research, there is a very high possibility it could ultimately be repurposed for military intelligence. It is expected that not only the U.S. but also several other countries will oppose China’s spy balloons in the future.

On the 4th, a Chinese reconnaissance balloon intercepted by a U.S. Air Force F-22 fighter jet off the coast of Surfside, South Carolina. Surfside=Reuters·Yonhap News Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News

A massive balloon with a radius of 36m... "Capable of flying for over a month"

According to CNN on the 11th (local time), the Chinese spy balloon discovered and shot down off the coast of Surfside, South Carolina, was a gigantic balloon with a radius of 36 meters. Considering that the F-22 fighter jet dispatched to shoot down the balloon is 18.5 meters long, the balloon was much larger than the fighter jet. CNN cited experts who said that at this size, it could fly for nearly a month, making it closer to an airship than a balloon.

However, the Chinese government continues to claim that the balloon is for weather observation. The U.S. side refutes this claim as groundless. Weather observation balloons are usually about 6 meters in radius, much smaller than this balloon, and unlike Chinese spy balloons, they do not have solar panels, motors, or their own propulsion system attached at the bottom.

The wreckage of a Chinese reconnaissance balloon that fell into the sea after being shot down by a U.S. F-22 fighter jet on the 5th and was pulled ashore at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Myrtle Beach=Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News Agency

Furthermore, even if it were a weather observation balloon, not disclosing the launch schedule and trajectory in advance could cause diplomatic issues. The U.S. National Weather Service launches more than 100 observation balloons daily but publicly shares the launch schedule and expected trajectory in real time. Other countries do the same and disclose this information.

There are also concerns that China may have deliberately developed spy balloons to exploit the blind spots of surveillance capabilities that have recently focused on reconnaissance satellites. Spy balloons are less likely to be detected by radar as enemy aircraft due to their slow speed, are difficult to visually identify if coated with special pigments, and can fly at lower altitudes than satellites to obtain high-quality ground images.

Focus on Inner Mongolia Balloon Center... China Continues to Claim "Scientific Use"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Global attention is especially focused on the balloon development center in Inner Mongolia, known as the birthplace of China’s spy balloon development. Previously, in 2020, after China’s lunar probe Chang’e 5 landed in the Inner Mongolia region, the Chinese government announced plans to establish a base for hot air balloons and observation balloons for weather monitoring there.

The U.S. government points out that while it appears that Chinese private companies are conducting scientific experiments by flying balloons in this area, these companies are actually linked to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. The regional Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, "China’s high-altitude spy balloon issue exists in a gray area between scientific research and national defense, similar to space projects and polar research."

According to WSJ, all of China’s major balloon and rubber manufacturers are controlled by Sino Chem, a Chinese state-owned chemical company. Most of their products are reportedly supplied to the Joint Staff Department of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. Because of this, Western intelligence agencies, including the U.S., suspect that the recent spy balloon was launched not as a civilian scientific experiment but for military purposes.