Nfter a suspected spy balloon from China entered American airspace, the American government decided to postpone Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s planned Sunday visit to Beijing. This was reported by a reporter from the Bloomberg news agency, citing American government sources.
Earlier on Friday, the Chinese government tried to downplay the flight of the balloon in American airspace. Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry, said Friday China is a responsible country. “We have no intention of violating the territory or airspace of any sovereign country.” She expressed hope that Washington would treat the matter “with a cool head.”
The Foreign Ministry later announced on its website that it was a civilian airship that was used for scientific purposes, such as meteorological ones. It was thrown off course by the wind. China regrets the incident, which is due to “force majeure”. Blinken is expected on Sunday for a two-day visit to Beijing, where he is also expected to meet with President Xi Jinping.
The US Department of Defense announced on Thursday that a Chinese spy balloon had been sighted over the northern United States. The balloon was spotted over the state of Montana on Wednesday, Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder reported. Its trajectory will be followed closely. F-22 fighter jets were also used for this purpose, it said. Air traffic in the city of Billings was therefore temporarily suspended.
President Joe Biden, briefed by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, ordered military options to be explored. However, the Pentagon advised against doing so. Because of the danger posed by falling debris, the decision was made against it. After the discovery, measures were taken to protect sensitive information. Minuteman III ICBMs loaded with nuclear warheads are stored at a US Air Force base in Montana. But there are other sensitive locations in the region, the Pentagon said. The balloon’s spy systems would only provide “limited added value” compared to the information that China can gather with satellites.
The Pentagon also said they were sure the balloon came from China. There have been similar incidents in the past. This time, however, the balloon stayed longer than usual over its own national territory. He poses no military threat or danger to people on the ground. Washington is in contact with Beijing. Republican Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy called it a “brazen disregard for American sovereignty”.