The Chinese “spy” balloon becomes a coincidence: US Secretary of State Blinken postpones the trip to Beijing
The case of the Chinese balloon sighted in the United States prompted the head of US diplomacy, Anthony Blinken, to postpone his trip to Beijing. The visit, scheduled for this weekend, will take place at a more “favorable” time, according to sources in the Biden administration quoted by the press.
China has apologized for the balloon’s violation of US airspace, claiming it was a civilian aircraft. An explanation that did not convince the US Department of Defense at all. “We are aware of the statement by the People’s Republic of China. However, we know it is a surveillance balloon,” said the spokesman, Brigadier General Pat Ryder. According to the Pentagon, the balloon is capable of being maneuvered and will remain in US airspace for a few more days, while continuing to travel at an altitude of 18,000 meters.
China’s foreign ministry had earlier said it was “a civilian airship used for research purposes, mainly meteorological”, with “limited maneuvering capabilities”. It would have deviated from its route due to “force majeure”, i.e. the westerly winds blowing in medium or temperate latitudes. “The Chinese side will continue to communicate with the US side and handle this unexpected situation properly,” the Beijing statement said.
The Pentagon has assured that the balloon does not pose a risk to commercial flights, given the altitude at which it travels, or to people on the ground. “This type of activity has already been observed in recent years. Once the balloon was detected, the US government took immediate action to protect itself from the collection of sensitive information. According to defense sources cited by CNN, the ball had been followed for several days. It was decided not to shoot it down as it would pose no threat to airways or from an intelligence point of view.
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