Dhe US-China relations have hit rock bottom. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the appearance of a “Chinese surveillance balloon” in US airspace “unacceptable” and “irresponsible”.
China firmly rejected the American espionage allegations on Saturday. “We do not accept groundless speculation and propaganda,” the foreign ministry in Beijing quoted top foreign policy chief Wang Yi as saying from his telephone conversation with Blinken.
Blinken cancels China visit
Because of the incidents, Blinken has canceled his visit to Beijing China, which was expected for Sunday. It would have been the first visit by a US Secretary of State to China since 2018. According to media reports, Blinken was also to be received by China’s head of state and party leader Xi Jinping. Although the expectations of the visit were not high, there were hopes that the visit would calm down the severely tense relationships.
The world expects the US and China to handle their relations responsibly, Blinken said at a news conference in Washington on Friday. The US is doing it and he expects China to do the same. He also said that to China’s top diplomat Wang Yi on the phone, Blinken explained. US President Joe Biden did not comment on the incident in several public appearances.
Another balloon sighted
Meanwhile, according to US information, another possible espionage balloon is hovering over Latin America. “There are reports of a balloon flying over Latin America,” US Defense Department spokesman Pat Ryder said Friday night. “In our estimation, it is another Chinese spy balloon.” The spokesman did not name the exact location of the balloon.
The spokesman for the US Department of Defense made only a very brief statement about the second balloon sighted. Initially, there was no information about the second balloon from Beijing.
China speaks of research balloon
China’s Foreign Ministry on Friday acknowledged that the balloon came from China and expressed regret over the incident.
A State Department spokesman said the balloon was being used “for meteorological and other scientific research.” He had entered US airspace as a result of “force majeure”. “Due to the westerly wind drift and limited control options, the airship has deviated far from the planned route,” said the spokesman. “Some politicians and media in the US have taken advantage of the situation to attack and discredit China.”
The Pentagon did not accept this. “We know it’s a surveillance balloon,” Ryder said. The Department of Defense announced the sighting of the first balloon in US airspace on Thursday evening. At that time, the balloon was over the northwestern state of Montana, it said. The flying object has been in view for a few days.
At noon on Friday, Ryder said the balloon was hovering over the center of the United States. It was said to be heading east. Matthew Smith, a US citizen who says he usually watches storms, said on CNN that he spotted the balloon over the state of Missouri on Friday.
