A spy scandal that goes beyond borders. As a Chinese spy balloon was shot down by the United States after crossing American territory, doubts are setting in on Tokyo's side. A new analysis of unidentified flying objects that have flown over Japanese airspace these years "strongly" suggests that they were Chinese spy balloons, according to the Japanese Ministry of Defense.
"After further analysis of the specific balloon-shaped flying objects previously identified in Japanese airspace, including those from November 2019, June 2020 and September 2021, we have concluded that the balloons are strongly presumed to be reconnaissance balloons. unmanned aircraft sent by China,” he said in a statement late Tuesday.
Tokyo also "strongly requested the Chinese government to confirm the facts" of the incident and "that such a situation does not happen again in the future". "Violations of airspace by foreign unmanned reconnaissance balloons and other means are completely unacceptable," the statement said.
Japan is now planning to revise its procedures vis-à-vis flying objects illegally in its airspace, in order to be able to destroy them more easily, Japanese media reported on Wednesday. Currently, weapons can only be used against these objects when they present a direct and immediate threat, according to the Kyodo news agency.
"I think this case raises concerns about a huge potential loophole in Japan's defense," Itsunori Onodera, the ruling party's main security official and former defense minister, said Wednesday. Japan said last week it was reviewing a series of incidents involving unidentified flying objects after Washington claimed the recently shot down Chinese balloon was fitted with surveillance equipment.
