Chinese state media have accused the US of using the recent incident involving a suspected Chinese spy balloon as a political ploy to stoke tensions between Washington and Beijing.
Beijing’s mouthpiece, the China Daily, made the sensational claim in a scathing editorial published Wednesday – one that accused Joe Biden and his government of “overreacting” to the incident and using it to their advantage.
The article, titled Paranoia spurs China bashers to dramatize a balloon crash into a Hollywood blockbuster, cites US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s planned visit to the country as evidence of this alleged ruse, along with his recent cancellation.
Blinken, who was due to leave for Beijing on Friday, told a news conference that the high-altitude surveillance ship, which flew near South Carolina over the continental United States, “created the conditions that undermine the purpose of the voyage.”
Beijing, meanwhile, has issued the following chilling statement in response, saying it “reserves the right to provide further answers as necessary.”
Chinese state media have accused the US of using the recent incident involving a suspected Chinese spy balloon as a political ploy to stoke tensions between Washington and Beijing
The article points to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s scheduled visit to the country as evidence of the alleged ruse, along with his recent cancellation
“China has strongly protested the launch of its meteorological balloon, which entered US airspace,” reads the article’s opening line, adding that the plane entered US airspace “completely by accident.”
The article reiterates Beijing’s official stance on the purpose of the South Carolina balloon, namely that it was used for meteorological purposes and that its entry into US airspace was unintentional.
“A US military fighter jet shot down the balloon off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday, a week after it first entered US airspace,” it said, ahead of the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s official response to the call incident is referenced.
China on Saturday night slammed Joe Biden’s decision to shoot down the plane as both a “clear overreaction” and a “grave breach of international practice.”
The agency on Saturday night criticized the US decision to shoot down the plane as both a “clear overreaction” and a “grave violation of international custom”.
“China has clearly asked the US to handle this appropriately in a calm, professional and reserved manner,” the article continued. “The US has insisted on using force, obviously overreacting.”
The article further claims that the US is “using the incident to justify postponing Blinken’s planned visit” and charges that the balloon is “an excuse, not the reason for the postponement”.
“The real cause,” the article claims, “lies in US domestic politics.”
Defense officials estimated the balloon was about the size of three buses at 120 feet and that the debris field would be substantial, estimated at seven miles, when it was shot down off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday
The comment would further paint a picture of alleged domestic turmoil currently unfolding in the US, one the Beijing-backed paper accuses is being caused by various bipartisan disputes.
To make that point, the Daily cited how Biden gave orders on Wednesday to take down the balloon as it hovered over states like Montana, but that the US eventually chose to wait until Saturday to launch the suspected spy ship , when it was over the Atlantic on the advice of the Pentagon.
An F-22 Raptor fighter jet fired a single AIM-9X missile to shoot down a Chinese spy balloon and its payload, which was equipped with cameras, sensors and radars
At around 1:30 p.m., jets were seen near the balloon after a source revealed defense officials were planning a launch and capture mission
“Republican opponents in Congress still argue that he didn’t act quickly enough,” the op-ed says. “It reflects the struggle between the two parties and how public demonstrations about which party is harder on China have become part of their feud.”
It is this division, according to the article, along with the US’s fueling of future hostility, that has prevented the “world’s largest developed country from improving ties with the world’s largest developing country”.
The article goes on to say, “By hyping the balloon as ‘a massive surveillance balloon,’ the US media has provided the reason for this political hostility towards China to be amplified.”
Meanwhile, it added: “The two parties are already wrangling positions ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
The piece follows the Beijing State Department’s disapproving response to Biden’s decision to launch the balloon — an act the State Department saw as a “clear overreaction and a grave violation of international practice.”
“The Chinese side, after verification, has repeatedly informed the US side about the civilian nature of the airship and that its entry into the United States was totally unexpected due to force majeure,” the ministry said.
The Navy and Coast Guard are now working to secure a perimeter around the downed vehicle, as it was revealed overnight that three other Chinese spy balloons had entered US airspace during the Trump administration, but the public was never informed
Beijing had previously warned that America’s decision to shoot down a Chinese spy balloon hovering over US nuclear silos was a “clear overreaction” and was preparing for “reactions”.
“The Chinese side has clearly asked the US side to handle the matter calmly, professionally and with restraint,” she added.
“The US Department of Defense spokesman also noted that the balloon posed no military or physical threat to people on the ground.
“Under such circumstances, the use of force by the US is a clear overreaction and a serious breach of international practice.
“China will resolutely uphold the legitimate rights and interests of the company concerned and reserves the right to provide further answers if necessary.”
An F-22 Raptor fighter jet downed the balloon at 2:38 p.m. Saturday off the coast of South Carolina using a single AIM-9X Sidewinder missile.
The Navy and Coast Guard are now working to secure a perimeter around the downed vehicle as it was revealed overnight that three other Chinese spy balloons had entered US airspace during the Trump administration, but the public was never informed and the Balloons were never shot down.
Republican leaders are now calling for the resignations of Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris over the latest incident.
Audio of FRANK01 (Langley AFB F-22) calling “SPASH ONE” and “HUNTRESS” (Eastern Air Defense Sector “EADS”) confirming that the #ChineseSpyBalloon will be completely destroyed off the coast of South Carolina today 😎
*Big thanks to 📷Brett728 for sharing pics and 🕵️♀️ for the audio! pic.twitter.com/8tfZeyeNAy— Thenwarea51 (@thenewarea51) February 5, 2023