TOKYO —&nbsp;Japan's Defence Ministry said on Tuesday (Feb 14) that it "strongly suspects" Chinese surveillance balloons have entered Japanese territory at least three times since 2019.

The balloons were detected in 2019, 2020 and 2021, the ministry said in a statement, adding that Japan had called on China's government to verify the facts of the situation and make sure it does not happen again.

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The suspected Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the coast in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, US on Feb 4, 2023. 

Japan

china military

spying

surveillance

Defence and military

Reuters

TOKYO — Japan's Defence Ministry said on Tuesday (Feb 14) that it "strongly suspects" Chinese surveillance balloons have entered Japanese territory at least three times since 2019. The balloons were detected in 2019, 2020 and 2021, the ministry said in a statement, adding that Japan had called on China's government to verify the facts of the situation and make sure...

Japan Defence Ministry 'strongly suspects' Chinese surveillance balloons have entered Japanese territory