A suspected surveillance balloon over northern Japan in September 2021(Picture: Synthetaic/Planet Labs PBC/BBC)
New images of what experts believe are Chinese spy balloons have been uncovered.
The never-before-seen satellite images show a suspected spy balloon crossing northern Japan in early September 2021.
The Japanese defence ministry confirmed the sighting and reportedly said it was prepared to shoot other balloons down in the future to protect the ‘lives and property of people in the territory of Japan’.
Artificial intelligence company Synthetaic worked with BBC Panorama to uncover the photograph, among others.
Founder Corey Jaskolski thinks there is evidence to show the balloon spotted over Japan was launched from within China, south of Mongolia, but the BBC has not been able to confirm this.
Investigators also believe they found two pictures appearing to show a balloon over Taiwan’s capital Taipei in late September 2021.
They came to this conclusion after the photos, taken by the country’s weather service, were cross-referenced with satellite imagery.
Researchers believe this is an image of a spy balloon off the coast of Taiwan in late September 2021 (Picture: Synthetaic/BBC)
The Taiwanese government said it had classed the balloon as a weather device but Mr Jaskolski disagreed.
He said: ‘Within 90 seconds, we found the balloon off the coast of Taiwan. Just based on the diameter of the balloon and the fact that the operating altitudes look similar – that looks an awful lot like the balloon that flew over Japan.’
He also compared it to the suspected Chinese balloon that flew over the US earlier this year, further straining relations between the two superpowers.
At the time, a Pentagon spokesperson said they ‘could not confirm that there was a real-time transmission from the balloon back to China’.
But the US State Department later said the balloon had ‘multiple antennas to include an array likely capable of collecting and geo-locating communications’.
It also reportedly had solar panels that were large enough to ‘operate multiple active intelligence collection sensors’.
A fighter pilot looks down at a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon as it hovers over the US on February 3 (Picture: AP)
A fighter jet flies near the remnants of a balloon after it was struck by a missile just off the coast of South Carolina on February 4 (Picture: AP)
China claimed the balloon was a ‘civilian airship used for research, mainly meteorological purposes’ which ‘deviated far from its planned course’ after being blown off course.
Monday’s images of alleged spy balloons in Japan and Taiwan are being dubbed as more evidence that China is running a global surveillance programme – something the country has firmly denied in the past.
A former East Asia analyst for the CIA John Culver said the balloon shot down by the US on February 4 was ‘not just a one-off but a continuing effort dating back at least five years’.
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China has not directly addressed these images but the embassy in London accused the US of being the one releasing balloons around the globe which have illegally entered China’s airspace.
It insisted that ‘China is a responsible country’ and rejected ‘unfounded allegations to denigrate and attack China’ which always acts ‘in strict compliance with international law and respects all countries’.
The most recent photographs were revealed as part of BBC Panorama’s investigation into China’s alleged global surveillance operation called Is China Watching You?
It airs on BBC One tonight at 8pm (8.30pm in Wales) and will be available on iPlayer afterwards.
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The never-before-seen satellite images show suspected spy balloons crossing Japan and Taiwan.