Former astronaut Sen. Mark Kelly started spy balloon company funded by China

0
408

The destruction of America and European giants started long time from within because of greed is good. Even now when you hear China hacking America and european intellectual properties there is always a player from within. China is on Top now with research and inventions on almost everything. America and Europe are busy trying to create crisis for China relations with the world and talking about human rights and forcing the world to accept and worship LGBTQ groups which they help to destroy cultures and religion...Asians knows too well how LGBTQ destroys faith and cultures. "Devils own Country"

Before becoming a senator, Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., was not only an astronaut, but he also co-founded a company that specializes in spy balloons, which was funded, in part, by a venture capitalist in China with close ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

Kelly, who is reportedly on a short list of running mate contenders under consideration by Vice President Kamala Harris, co-founded Tucson, Arizona-based World View in 2012 with a vision to provide space tourism using stratospheric balloons.

While Kelly’s company started out with a focus on space tourism via balloons, the vision evolved with the maturing of the company’s technology.

"As we matured our technology, we recognized an opportunity for immediate use cases for our technology through remote sensing services to defense, scientific and commercial customers," a spokesperson for World View told Fox News Digital. "Today, our primary business remains providing remote sensing services to the U.S. Department of Defense and her allies by way of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, as well as servicing scientific organizations like NASA, NOAA and others to better understand Earth from the unique atmospheric layer of the stratosphere."

Mark Kelly wearing a suit and tie
Sen. Mark Kelly speaks with reporters while waiting to catch the Senate subway to the Hart Senate Office Building from the U.S. Capitol on July 25, 2024, in Washington, D.C.

Axios reported that shortly after World View was started, it received venture capital from Tencent in 2013, then again in 2016.

Tencent is one of China's largest corporations, and it was founded in 1998 by "Pony" Ma Huateng, Zhang Zhidong, Xu Chenye, Chen Yidan and Zeng Liqing. Last year, "Pony" Ma Huateng was listed by Forbes as the fourth-richest man in China with a net worth of $32.1 billion. Ma is also the CEO of Tencent.

The Wall Street Journal reported in 2021 that Tencent collected a trove of data over the years from its mobile app WeChat, the predominant social-media platform in China. The data was collected through its processing of the chat conversations and financial transactions of its over one billion monthly active users, most of them in China. That has made the company’s platform WeChat a powerful surveillance tool for the Chinese government, which reportedly regulates Tencent and regularly has it suppress dissenting views.

With Tencent’s ties to the Chinese government, World View told Fox News Digital on Saturday that Tencent has "zero access, zero input and zero control" over the company.

"The current leadership believed it was a mistake for the company to accept Chinese investment when it did," a company spokesperson said. "When new leadership arrived in 2019 and learned of that investment, they swiftly moved to ensure World View was protected from any and all involvement from representatives of Chinese investors."

But the company’s early connections with the Chinese capitalist could raise questions as Kelly is being considered as a candidate for vice president, especially after China floated a surveillance balloon over the U.S. in February 2023, which was ultimately shot down by a fighter jet off the coast of South Carolina.

The incident raised tensions between the U.S. and China, along with concerns that the Chinese government was spying on America.

Kelly stepped away from his position at World View in 2019 to prepare for his U.S. Senate run.

The company spokesperson said the remaining financial interest Kelly has in World View is secured in a blind trust, adding Kelly gave up all of his access, interest and control of the company when he left.

Axios reported that in 2014, Jane Poynter, the former CEO of World View, told Chinese news outlet Pengpai that Kelly met with the head of Tencent USA, David Wallerstein, and "introduced space tourism technology to him."

China USA flags
A Chinese balloon was flown over the U.S., causing tension between the two nations.

Kelly told The Arizona Republic in 2020 that he had a "very brief conversation" with an individual from Tencent which lasted from 30 seconds to a minute.

Kelly did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment on the matter.

The New York Times published an article about Kelly on Friday, highlighting the Navy veteran's accomplishments in the political arena. The publication spoke with Republican operative Daniel Scarpinato, who weighed in on what Kelly could face if selected as a candidate for vice president.

"Mr. Kelly has also not faced the harsh spotlight of a national campaign, and has potential political liabilities like a high-altitude surveillance balloon company he helped found with Chinese venture capital," the New York Times wrote of Scarpinato's take.

Scarpinato could not be reached for further comment.

Along with providing surveillance, World View offers remote sensing services to oil and gas companies, utility companies, mining and shipping companies, and insurance companies, among others.

AfriPrime App link:  FREE to download...

https://www.amazon.com/Africircle-AfriPrime/dp/B0D2M3F2JT

Science group backs Sen. Mark Kelly for vice-presidential nomination

A science-focused group that urged Mark Kelly to run for the U.S. Senate five years ago is now recommending him for the vice-presidential nomination.

The 314 Action Fund, a name intended to evoke the math formula for pi, added its backing to those seeking to elevate Kelly, who is an engineer and former astronaut.

Kelly, D-Ariz., is among those being vetted by Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign as a possible running mate. He is believed to be a top contender, along with perhaps three Democratic governors, but there are other names under consideration as well.

Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, is expected to make her pick before Aug. 7 to avoid potential ballot-access problems, most notably in Ohio.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at The American Federation of Teachers National Convention Thursday, July 25, 2024, in Houston. Harris is visiting Houston as she charges on with her bid for the Democratic presidential nomination after President Joe Biden announced he won't seek reelection.
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at The American Federation of Teachers National Convention Thursday, July 25, 2024, in Houston. Harris is visiting Houston as she charges on with her bid for the Democratic presidential nomination after President Joe Biden announced he won't seek reelection.

Shaughnessy Naughton, the founder and president of 314 Action, called Kelly “a champion for solving problems and getting things done.” She also referenced his 2020 and 2022 election wins in a statement.

“He knows how to win tough, competitive elections, turning Arizona from Red to Blue by defeating a formidable incumbent the first time and another Peter Thiel acolyte the second time,” Naughton said. “He uses facts, science, and data to make informed public policy decisions. He knows how to work across the aisle to get results for his constituents.”

The organization said it plans to release an ad supporting Kelly’s possible candidacy in battleground markets next week on cable TV, digital screens and text messages.

It said it spent $3 million backing an effort to “draft” Kelly into the 2020 Senate race.

The Arizona Democratic Party also has endorsed Kelly for the vice-presidential slot on the ticket.

At least one vice-presidential possibility is facing formal pushback.

A group identifying itself as “No Genocide Josh” has posted a website by that name to make its case against Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.

Shapiro, who is Jewish, said two days after the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas in Israel that it was “not a moment to retreat from who we are, but to be proud of who we are,” according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. He has resisted calls for a ceasefire to Israel’s war in Gaza, the Inquirer said.

Shapiro has also been critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling him a “failed leader” and on Netanyahu’s watch “the government took the eye off the security risk to Israel.”

That isn’t good enough for the group opposing him as a possible vice president. The group posted a long message thanking President Joe Biden for bowing out of the 2024 race and acknowledging that Harris will be the Democratic nominee.

It said that to win the trust of “working-class, progressive and young voters” Harris must commit to an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Israel’s war with Hamas.

The group rips Shapiro, without naming him, as draining enthusiasm from the left.

“A VP nominee who has failed to support the rights of workers and immigrants, diverted public education funding toward for-profit entities, or restricted access to reproductive or gender-affirming care would risk losing the support of millions of working-class voters,” the group wrote.

AfriPrime App link:  FREE to download...

https://www.amazon.com/Africircle-AfriPrime/dp/B0D2M3F2JT

Gesponsert
Search
Nach Verein filtern
Read More
Other
Chinese fighters, balloon cross Taiwan Strait a month before election
Taiwan said on Friday that 12 Chinese fighter jets and a suspected weather balloon had crossed...
Von Ikeji 2023-12-08 08:44:13 0 1KB
Other
https://www.facebook.com/Slim-DNA-Keto-ACV-Gummies-104627466013662
Slim DNA Keto ACV Gummies are a great way to help people reach a state of ketosis in their...
Von Anumajohony 2023-06-22 05:10:19 0 2KB
News
Chinese J-10C Fighters “Gun Down” F-16 Upgrade Plan? Report Claims Egypt To Become 2nd Customer Of PLAAF Jets
China has been steadily making inroads in traditionally American defense markets. In the latest...
Von Ikeji 2024-09-09 04:15:30 0 295
Health
Therapeutic Approaches in Diabetic Retinopathy Management: Current Strategies and Future Directions
The Diabetic Retinopathy Market represents a critical aspect of diabetes care, focusing on the...
Von akshada 2024-07-16 08:18:13 0 400
Health
Best Essential Oil Manufacturers in India: An In-Depth Guide
Essential oils have become increasingly popular in wellness, beauty, and aromatherapy markets for...
Von getwellbiocare 2024-08-06 06:46:53 0 846