Rizhao: 'preparing to shoot down' an unidentified object
On 12 February 2023, the same week U.S. fighters shot down three unidentified objects over North America, a district bureau in Qingdao told fishermen that an unidentified flying object had been found off Rizhao and that the military was preparing to shoot it down, asking them to photograph or recover any debris. No result was ever announced. Four days later Shijiazhuang airport was closed for two hours for 'military activity'.
Evidence, in date order (1)
- 12 Feb 2023Qingdao Jimo District Marine Development Bureauofficialofficial notice of a planned shoot-down near the PLA Navy's Jianggezhuang submarine base
How plausible · High
An official Chinese district notice warned of a planned shoot-down off Rizhao the same week the U.S. shot down three objects; no outcome was announced.
- ●●No gain sought Government notice.
- ●●Checkable details check out The notice and airline notices.
- ●●Fits the documented skeleton The U.S. shoot-downs that week.
- ●●Fits secrecy practice No outcome announced.
- ●○Access An official notice.
- ●○Character record Official.
Plausibility weighs how well an account fits where secrecy hides the documents by design, so missing records never count against it. Strength measures what is documented. Assessed 2026-10-23.