Summary of the news
- The United States has accused China of using balloons to spy on American territory
- Still, according to Washington, other similar devices flew over the five continents
- China denies military use of the balloon, saying it is used for meteorological studies.
US agents pick up debris from a downed Chinese balloon US Naval Forces/US Navy photo/Handout via Portal archives
The month of February began with a thorny diplomatic incident between the United States and China, which has seen tensions between the Washington and Beijing governments escalate in recent years.
Last Day 2, Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder told the press that the US had spotted a Chinese spy balloon, but that it posed no military or physical risk to the country’s population. However, two days later, F22 fighters shot down the object.
For its part, China lamented the “accidental” entry of a “civilian aircraft” into US airspace. Beijing reiterated that the vehicle was being used for scientific purposes, particularly meteorological purposes, and was stopped “due to force majeure” in North America.
Among the accusations and justifications, a fact unchallenged by Beijing is that the surveillance balloon flew right over the state of Montana, home to American nuclear missile sites.
All of this diplomatic muddle prompted US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to cancel a planned visit to China that was due to take place on February 56.
The meeting was seen as an opportunity for countries to assess tensions that have arisen in recent years, particularly during Donald Trump’s presidency and through the visit of former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan a Territory claimed by China refueled in mid2022.
Take it, give it here
The espionage narrative has spread among US government spokesmen who have claimed Chinese balloons have flown across five continents in recent years.
Neighboring Brazil, Colombia claimed to have identified a balloon similar to the one intercepted by the United States. The Brazilian government reported through Decea (Department of Airspace Control) that there are no records of such objects flying over the territory of the country.
Sabrina Blanchard, MariaCecilia Rezende, Nalini LepetitChella/AFP February 13, 2023
This Monday (13th), it was China’s turn to accuse the United States of having invaded the country’s airspace “more than ten times” since the beginning of January. Without giving further details, Chinese diplomacy spokeswoman Wang Wenbin urged journalists to ask about the American version of events.
For his part, White House spokesman for the National Security Council John Kirby emphatically denied the Chinese version: “That is not true! We didn’t do that!”
The balloon shot down by the US on February 4 is in the custody of the FBI, which is analyzing the object. According to the Pentagon, the vehicle is the size of three buses and weighed more than 1 ton.
North America Slaughter series
FBI received Chinese balloon debris for FBI forensic surrender via Portal 2/9/2023
At least three other unidentified objects flying in a border region between the United States and Canada have been shot down since last Friday (10).
Washington claims to know nothing or almost nothing about the socalled unidentified flying objects (UFOs): neither their origin, nor their use, nor their nature. The only thing that seems clear is that none of them posed a direct military threat but potentially endangered civilian air traffic, which is why President Joe Biden ordered the fighter jets to shoot them down.
It is clear to the US that China maintains or has maintained a “fleet” of spy balloons.
The Americans have also imposed sanctions on companies and research institutes they say are contributing to China’s military modernization. Beijing described these measures as “illegal”.
The narratives created by the two countries always try to blame the opposing government. However, the existence of espionage between countries is an ancient practice that has been perfected over time. The point is not to know if China is spying on the US, but whether this balloon is specifically for that purpose.