US says it cannot confirm China collected real-time data from spy balloon

FILE PHOTO: A U.S. Air Force U-2 pilot looks down at the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon as it hovers over the central continental United States on February 3, 2023 before later being shot down by the Air Force off the coast of South Carolina, in this photo released by the U.S. Air Force through the Defense Department on February 22, 2023. U.S. Air Force/Department of Defense/Handout via Reuters

U.S. President Joe Biden's administration said on Monday it could not confirm reports that China was able to collect real-time data from a spy balloon as it flew over sensitive military sites earlier this year, saying analysis was still ongoing.

NBC News on Monday reported that the Chinese balloon was able to transmit data back to Beijing in real time despite the U.S. government's efforts to prevent it from doing so - a disclosure that could deepen Republican criticism of Biden for waiting for the balloon to reach a safe location before shooting it down.