Citing two current and one former U.S. officials, NBC reported that a Chinese balloon shot down by the U.S. military in February used a U.S. Internet service provider to share information with China.In February, the U.S. military shot down a Chinese balloon after it flew over the United States and accused the balloon of surveillance. China responded that the balloon was a civilian airship conducting scientific research.
The latest reports from US media stated that the balloon used an American Internet service provider to send and receive information from China to transmit navigation data.
The US refused to disclose the name of the US company. The company reportedly denied that Chinese balloons used its network and said it had cooperated with the government investigation.
The U.S. Pentagon previously stated that the so-called "Chinese reconnaissance balloon" that was shot down by a U.S. warplane over the Atlantic Ocean in February this year did not collect U.S. intelligence while transiting or flying over the United States. China has responded to this many times, saying that the accidental entry of Chinese civilian unmanned airships into U.S. airspace was entirely an accident and accident caused by force majeure.