Blinken cancels Beijing trip, as U.S. rejects China’s ‘spy balloon’ denials

A high-altitude Chinese balloon flew over the US on Friday, drawing Pentagon accusations of spying despite China’s denials.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken abruptly canceled a trip to Beijing in a bid to ease US-China tensions.

Blurry video is circulating social media sites as people with binoculars and telephoto lenses try to spot the “spy balloon” in the sky as it heads east over Kansas and Missouri at a distance of 18,300 meters.

Blinken’s cancellation comes despite China’s claim that the balloon was just a weather research “airship” that has gone missing.

The Pentagon denied that it was out of hand – as well as China’s claim that the balloon, about the size of two school buses, was not used for surveillance and had only limited navigation capabilities.

“Due to China’s unacceptable actions, I am postponing my planned trip to China this weekend,” Blinken said. He was due to leave Washington for Beijing last Friday.

He said he had told senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi on the phone that sending balloons to the US was an “irresponsible act and [China’s] the decision to take this action on the eve of my visit undermines the substantive discussions that have been prepared.”

The balloon was detected at a sensitive military site in Montana but had moved east over the central United States during the day and was expected to remain in US airspace for several days, officials said.

The development marks a fresh blow to US-China relations that have been in a downward spiral for years due to a host of problems.

However, US officials have maintained that diplomatic channels remain open and Blinken said he remains willing to travel to China “if the situation permits.”

Canada summoned the ambassador

China’s ambassador to Canada Cong Peiwu was summoned by Global Affairs Canada officials on Thursday amid the controversy, according to department spokeswoman Charlotte MacLeod.

“We will continue to express our position to Chinese officials through multiple channels,” MacLeod said in a statement on Friday.

Canada’s Department of National Defense said the balloon’s movements were being actively tracked by the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD), which is responsible for monitoring air threats to the continent.

Officials have not said whether the surveillance balloon flew in Canadian airspace, and Defense Minister Anita Anand’s office declined to comment.

However, the Department of Defense said in a statement that Canadian intelligence agencies are cooperating with their American counterparts.

There was no comment from Biden

US President Joe Biden declined to comment on the matter when asked at an economic event.

Two possible 2024 re-election challengers, former president Donald Trump, and Nikki Haley, former South Carolina governor and UN ambassador, said the US should immediately shoot the balloon.

Biden was first briefed on the Chinese surveillance balloon on Tuesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters. He did not explain why the government waited until Thursday to publicize the concern.

A senior defense official said the US had prepared fighter jets, including F-22s, to shoot down the balloons if ordered.

The Pentagon eventually advised against it, noting that the balloon was located in a sparsely populated area of ​​Montana, where its size could create a debris field large enough to endanger people.

US Brig. General Pat Ryder, the Pentagon’s press secretary, declined to say whether there was any new consideration for taking the balloons down.

No current threat: Pentagon

Ryder said it was at an elevation of about 60,000 feet, maneuverable and had changed course. He said there is no threat at this time.

Regarding Blinken’s trip, Jean-Pierre said that a diplomatic visit to China would not be appropriate at this time.

He said “the presence of these balloons in our airspace … is a clear violation of our sovereignty as well as international law and this is unacceptable.”

US State Department officials said Blinken and US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman both protested to top officials at the Chinese Embassy on Wednesday, a day before the Pentagon announced the balloon’s discovery.

Pentagon officials said Thursday that one of the sites found was in Montana, which is home to one of America’s three nuclear missile silos at Malmstrom Air Force Base.

Some Republican lawmakers have criticized the administration for not taking stronger action against China earlier. And the decision for Blinken to continue the trip could make Biden more vulnerable to complaints as he begins to tackle the Republican-led U.S. House.

Weather experts say China’s claim that the balloon was blown up is untenable.

China, which has angrily denounced surveillance efforts by the US and others in areas it considers its territory and has forced an American spy plane and captured its crew on Hainan Island, has been relatively conciliatory in its response to US complaints.

In a statement apologizing, China’s Foreign Ministry said the balloon was a civilian airship used mainly for meteorological research. He said the airship was limited in its “self-steering” capabilities and “deviated far from its planned course” due to the wind.

“China regrets the unintended entry of the aircraft into US airspace because force majeure“said the statement, citing a legal term used to refer to events beyond one’s control.