Joe Biden, President of the United States, defended the launch of alleged Chinese spy balloons, which took place in early February, but has announced that it will seek talks with Beijing. China on Friday the 17th said it was skeptical of the US president’s intentions, saying the US government could not “request for communication” while “escalating tensions”.
“I make no apologies for shooting down that balloon,” Biden said on Thursday the 17th. Biden said the U.S. “would not hesitate” to shoot down airborne objects that could pose a threat to national security, saying, that other objects could be shot down privately or by research institutions.
The US President said he does not seek conflict with China and does not want a “new Cold War”, making it clear that diplomats from both countries are staying in touch. “I look forward to speaking with President Xi and getting to the bottom of this,” Biden said.
China threatens US amid balloon crisis
On Wednesday, the 15th, Chinese authorities announced that the United States would use highaltitude balloons to fly over regions of China such as Xinjiang in addition to Tibet, and warned that it would take action against US units that “challenge Chinese sovereignty ‘ as diplomatic tensions between the two countries escalate.
“China strongly opposes and will take action against relevant US entities that undermine China’s sovereignty and security in accordance with the law,” Wang said. Chinese Foreign Ministerwithout specifying the measures.
According to the Asian country, the US has flown over Chinese airspace more than 10 times since May 2022 without permission.