CNA_PRC间谍气球揭示战略竞争新Arena.pdf

February 2023 DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A.Cleared for Public Release IOP-2023-U-034871-Final-1Rev CNA Occasional Paper|1 PRC Spy Balloon Reveals New Arena of Strategic Competition Kevin Pollpeter The overflight of a Peoples Republic of China(PRC)spy balloon across the continental United States reveals Beijings ambitions to establish itself as a military power with global reach.PRC balloons have overflown more than 40 countries across five continents.1 Lacking an airborne strategic reconnaissance capability,the Peoples Liberation Army(PLA)appears to have sought a low-cost intelligence collection platform that was so retro that it has revealed gaps in the ability of the US and other militaries to defend their sovereign airspace.The spy balloon episode also highlights the increasingly heated diplomatic relationship between the United States and the PRC.The balloon overflight and subsequent shootdown have derailed efforts by both countries to lower tensions and demonstrate how unplanned events can complicate the relationship.The competing narratives from both the United States and the PRC,with the United States portraying the PRC as a malign actor intent on subverting the established inte