China's suspected spy balloon had Western-made components with English writing on them, report says
Peter Zay/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
- China's balloon had parts that were made in the West, officials told lawmakers, per Bloomberg.
- They said the components had English writing on them, sources told Bloomberg.
- Beijing previously said the US overreacted by shooting down the balloon.
A Chinese balloon, which US officials said was a surveillance device, had components that were manufactured in the West, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, citing sources.
People familiar with the situation told Bloomberg that Biden administration officials spoke to members of Congress privately on Capitol Hill about the balloon having Western-made components with English-language writing on them.
Several of the people declined to tell Bloomberg which components of the balloon were made in the West.
A few days after the balloon was spotted, the US military shot it down over the Atlantic Ocean.
Bloomberg said it was unclear whether the writing on the components was found before the balloon was shot down or while recovering the debris from the ocean.
Senators Dan Sullivan and Josh Hawley said officials were asked during the Capitol Hill discussion whether US companies had been involved in making the balloon's parts, but they didn't give a definitive answer, per Fox News.
Meanwhile, Hawley told Fox News he was concerned at the "very disturbing possibility" of US manufacturers helping to build the balloon.
The National Security Council's spokesperson declined to comment to Bloomberg and didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. The Departments of State and Defense didn't immediately respond to Bloomberg and Insider's requests for comment.
Chinese officials have said the balloon was from the country but that it was a weather balloon, which went off course.
Beijing previously said the US "overreacted" by shooting down the balloon.
China said on Tuesday it wants its balloon back. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said it "does not belong to the US."
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