China’s largest balloon manufacturer, the Zhuzhou Rubber Research & Design Institute Co, has denied any involvement in the “spy balloon” incident in the United States in which the U.S. Air Force shot down a Chinese balloon. According to the Chinese government, the balloon was used for weather observation and drifted off course, but the U.S. maintains is was used for spying. The incident prompted U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to cancel a trip to China on February 5. The U.S. is confident the manufacturer of the balloon “has a direct relationship with China’s military and is an approved vendor of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA)”. China admitted owning the balloon but said it was intended for civilian purposes and had entered U.S. airspace by accident.
The Zhuzhou Rubber Research & Design Institute Co, under China National Chemical Corp, has denied it had any connection with the “spy balloon” incident. It has developed some world-leading technologies in the manufacture of sounding balloons, also known as weather balloons. Zhuzhou Rubber institute’s sounding balloon can fly at an altitude of 50,000 meters – higher than any competitor’s product. The company has an 80% Chinese market share and its balloons are exported to more than 40 countries and regions, including Russia, France, the U.S., Germany and Britain, according to the firm’s website. Increasing demand for balloons for scientific research and other sectors has stimulated the rapid development of the technology in China, according to industrial experts.
A sounding balloon has a rubber balloon and a radiosonde, a small device that measures atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity and wind speed. The balloon is filled with hydrogen or helium. Zhuzhou Rubber improved its rubber formula for the production of balloons and has mastered two kinds of crafting processes: a dipping method and a rotational moulding method. Balloons produced by Zhuzhou Rubber can rise to an altitude more than four times that of the highest-flying civil aircraft. During the lift-off process, the balloon scans the sky from low altitude to high altitude like a CT scanner and obtains key values needed for scientific research or military operations. The company has also designed a flat floating balloon, which can climb to a high altitude, then measure horizontal areas.
Zhuzhou Rubber's balloons range in weight from 10 grams to 7,000 grams. A high-altitude balloon that can fly to 20,000 meters costs just CNY170, while a balloon that reaches 50,000 m costs nearly CNY20,000. Zhuzhou Rubber is the designated supplier to the China Meteorological Administration, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). It is also a member of the international Association of the Hydro-Meteorological Equipment Industry. In 2017, the Zhuzhou Rubber Institute, as a representative of the Chinese latex industry, led the drafting of the “Meteorological Balloons – Specification”, an international standard, the South China Morning Post reports.
The Biden Administration added six Chinese entities to an export blacklist, saying they were linked to Beijing’s suspected surveillance balloon program. The entities include Beijing Nanjiang Aerospace Technology, the China Electronics Technology Group Corp's 48th Research Institute, Dongguan Lingkong Remote Sensing Technology, Eagles Men Aviation Science and Technology Group, Guangzhou Tian-Hai-Xiang Aviation Technology and Shanxi Eagles Men Aviation Science and Technology Group. Being added to the entity list makes it hard for targeted companies to obtain U.S. tech exports.
