It's a secret laboratory that China doesn't want anyone to see. CNN is the first media outlet to get this close to where China actually built its spy balloons. A military helicopter is seen sitting inside the facility's gates.
Dispelling any notion that the balloons are not used for military purposes. Will Ripley was there and filed this OUTFRONT investigation. Hundreds of miles from Beijing, a place China doesn't want you to see. CNN, the first international media to come here.
Behind a sea of barbed wire and security checkpoints. The base of a blacklisted balloon manufacturer, one of six Chinese entities. The U.S. government sanctioned after that suspected spy balloon had just shot it, shot down,.
Pulled up and sent to an FBI lab. Each piece providing more proof. The U.S. says this was no weather balloon deflating denial after denial by Beijing. China's foreign ministry calls the whole thing an accident. The balloon,.
An unmanned civilian air ship. CNN's search for the truth behind the balloon took our team from the Chinese capital to Shanxi province, about 300 miles southwest of Beijing. Days of digging and geo location technology.
Took us down this road to a place few outsiders have seen. No international media has ever come this close. What did we find An active industrial complex with possible ties to the Chinese military's vast, highly secretive aerospace program.
Eagles Men, Aviation Science and Technology, or MRC blacklisted by the US Commerce Department. CNN searched corporate records suggesting Inmarsat has permits to develop and manufacture products for the Chinese military. The first thing we notice a giant white.
Dome A closer look shows the company logo. And I saw that hunger inside that dome. A lab we dug up a 2017 Chinese state media report The report says this is where workers test high altitude balloons.
Like the one that flew over the U.S.. Our team spotted two more massive structures. They look like giant tents punctuate teams. Search of state media archives reveals their true purpose. Huge stealth hangars helping.
Military choppers evade detection by prying eyes. CNN cameras also captured this what seems to be an assault helicopter on display. Diplomacy it. And listen to this. That same state media report never once does it mention meteorology.
It boasts the balloons can carry multiple detectors. Communications equipment used for civilian and military surveillance and reconnaissance. CNN tried to get answers from all six companies on the U.S. blacklist.
No response from Inmarsat or the others. They're not talking about the balloon. But President Joe Biden is. I make no apologies for taking down that balloon. A suspected spy balloon. We may never know for sure who made it. China is sticking to its weather balloon claim.
Dismissed by the Pentagon as nothing but hot air. This facility is located in the city of Shanghai. And by Chinese standards, it's relatively small, around 3 million people. But what makes this location highly significant is that this factory.
Is very close to a very large Chinese military base. And, in fact, when our team was flying into this city, they were instructed by the air crew to close the window shades on the plane because they didn't want the passengers.
Looking out the window or taking pictures of a sensitive military site. Right next to this balloon factory Erin.
Absolute self assurance CNN is mattress with communists China who else would the crimson trust. China is permitting a foreign media however imprisoned their electorate free speech and silence media
CNN did look in China 😂
Haha this Balloon stuff is yarn , wait till these smartly told voters of American public uncover they also non-public satellites that can have interaction pictures of their attend yards.Haha 😅YouTube the truth is wants to scream attend detest counter.