China’s major state-owned chemical manufacturer denies relationship with US downed balloon | Reuters

Zhuzhou Rubber Research and Design Institute, a Chinese weather balloon maker, said on February 25 that it had nothing to do with the balloon shot down by the United States earlier this month, nor was it a military company. The photo shows a balloon projecting an image of the Chinese flag and an image of a map of the United States. (Archyde.com/Dado Ruvic)

[北京 ２５日 ロイター] – Zhuzhou Rubber Research and Design Institute, a Chinese weather balloon maker, said it had nothing to do with the balloon shot down by the US earlier this month, nor is it a military company.

Zhuzhou Rubber, owned by state-owned chemical giant ChemChina, said it “mainly engages in the production of natural latex observation balloons in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.” “Our products are used by weather stations for daily weather forecasts and have nothing to do with the reported US balloon incident,” a statement on ChemChina’s website said.

Zhuzhou Rubber dominates the manufacturing of weather balloons in the country, producing 75 percent of the high-altitude balloons used by the China Meteorological Administration, according to a statement by China’s state-owned enterprise regulator last year.