The United States believes that the alleged Chinese surveillance balloon that was shot down on Saturday off the coast of South Carolina was part of a wider fleet that spanned five continents.  Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced that the US was not the only target of the suspected surveillance. The US has shared the information gathered from the debris of the balloon with dozens of other countries. 

Chine continues to deny that the balloon was used for spying purposes. The balloon was shot down on Saturday by a US fighter jet. The balloon weighed hundreds or thousands of pounds and was approximately 200 feet tall. The Washington Post reported that the suspected surveillance project was being operated in the Hainan province in China and targeted Japan, India, Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines, among other countries. The US believes similar balloons operated over North America, South America, South East Asia, East Asia and Europe. 

Read More: Chinese balloon part of worldwide fleet, US officials say