VanHerck believes no other Chinese spy balloons have flown over the U.S. since the incident, but he said the Chinese spy balloon program remains active. He believes it is focused on the western Pacific to collect signals, video, and infrared and electro-optical intelligence for a potential crisis or conflict there.
“I think they have a stratospheric balloon program that is primarily focused on the western Pacific," VanHerck said. “To give them what I would call a command and control, to share information, to collect.”
Biden and his national security aides, meanwhile, have tried to play down the China balloon incident. For much of 2023, they tried to put it behind them and get U.S. relations with China to a better place.
After months of efforts, the president’s team finally secured a meeting between Xi and Biden last month in San Francisco. During the summit, the balloon did not came up in the two leaders’ discussions. Officials said Biden never raised it.
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