At least 3 Chinese spy balloons have previously entered Japan, officials say

Japanese, American, and South Korean officials during a joint national security meeting.
(Image credit: Kyodo News via Getty Images)

The Japanese Defense Ministry said that it "strongly suspects" Chinese spy balloons have entered their country at least three times since 2019, Reuters reported Tuesday.

The devices were detected in 2019, 2020, and 2021, the ministry said in a statement, adding that Japanese officials had contacted China to verify the facts of the situation and ensure it didn't happen again. The ministry also said that it would not accept any territorial violations from Chinese balloons.

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Justin Klawans, The Week US

 Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other Hollywood news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.