Spy Balloon Saga Between China, US Continues; One Spotted Over Hawaii

There have been reports about balloon sightings in the United States and China. The topic raised concerns as they were not ordinary balloons but were allegedly spy balloons.

Another Balloon Spotted In Hawaii

A balloon was spotted over the Pacific Ocean northeast of Hawaii, Forbes reported. Air traffic controllers and pilots were advised to watch out for the object.

The US military's Indo-Pacific Command confirmed to The War Zone that it was looking into it. However, it remains unclear what those balloons were for.

Last week, on Feb. 12, there was also a report claiming that China's military was shooting down an unidentified flying object spotted over Shandong province near the capitol of Beijing.

It wasn't an isolated case because four days later, on Feb. 16, another unidentified balloon was spotted over Hebei Province, not far from Beijing. The balloon sighting caused flight delays and even rerouted flights from Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport.

Again, there is no definite answer as to what those bizarre balloons are for. However, China alleged that the United States has flown balloons over its territory in the past. The U.S. and its ally Taiwan also claimed the same thing against China.

Forbes noted that there were also four mysterious, uncrewed balloons shot down over North America. The rumored spy balloon sightings continue and have become more prevalent.

Chinese Flew Spy Balloons Above The U.S.?

Hundreds of unidentified balloons sightings were observed in the United States. The Biden administration is still figuring out the full extent of China's spy balloon intrusion into the country's airspace. It's also possible that the number of Chinese surveillance flights over the country has increased, CNBC reported.

The outlet noted that there are currently five known Chinese balloon flights into the U.S. territory, including two during the Biden administration and three during former U.S. President Donald Trump's presidency.

Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee believed that the recent knowledge about the balloons will help them better understand what happened in the past when similar balloons were spotted.

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The congressman is expecting more Chinese balloon flights to be identified.

He told the outlet that after watching one of the balloons for over a week, they now have more idea about how they behave and what they're capable of. He was confident that they would be able to backfill.

Japan's ministry of defense said they were also investigating the three unidentified flying objects that were "strongly presumed" to be Chinese reconnaissance balloons, which violated the country's airspace. The flight took place in November 2019, June 2020, and September 2021.

Balloon Saga Between USA And China

The United States has found China's behavior aggressive. The country noted China's threatening gestures to Taiwan when expansionist moves in the South China Sea and dominate important economic sectors, including semiconductors.

Last year, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken promised to remain focused on the most serious long-term challenge to the international order, posed by the People's Republic of China. However, one should note that there have been mutual suspicions and activity between the U.S.A and China.

Both countries have been involved in a repertoire of methods and tools far beyond "spying," according to the Economic Times. The U.S. refused to recognize the People's Republic of China and reportedly made efforts to severely contain the Chinese regime by sustaining military alliances with Taiwan, South Korea and South Vietnam.

China pushed back against America and developed its own team of countervailing allies, including North Korea.