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The Chinese spy balloon that was shot down over the United States last week “confirms a pattern of Chinese behavior” and shows that the United States needs to be aware of the constant risk of CCP intelligence, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.
Stoltenberg made the remarks during a press availability on Feb. 8, where he said the behavior confirms that China has heavily invested in new military capabilities, including surveillance.
Referencing the balloon—that was shot down by an F-22 fighter jet on Feb. 4—Stoltenberg said it 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.”
“And we’ve also seen 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 said.
“So, we just have to be vigilant. We need to be aware of the constant risk of Chinese intelligence, and then step up what we do to protect ourselves. And we need also to react in a prudent, responsible, and vigilant way, as we have seen the United States has reacted to this specific balloon over North America and the United States,” Stoltenberg said.
