As the U.S. examines Chinese balloon debris, the diplomatic dispute worsens.

Reuters || Shining BD

Published: 2/15/2023 5:52:06 AM

As the U.S. military examined the remains of a suspected Chinese spy balloon it shot down earlier this month, Beijing accused Washington of flying high-altitude balloons into its and other nations' airspace, widening the diplomatic rift between the two nations.

 

Before President Joe Biden gave the order to shoot the Chinese balloon on February 4, it had been flying over the United States and Canada for a week. Beijing denies that it was a spy vessel. Since then, the American military has shot down three more aircraft as it searches the skies for targets that radar was unable to detect.

On Tuesday, the White House stated that it was still looking for debris from the most recent unmanned objects and had not found any proof that they were a part of China's spy program. But as efforts to restart bilateral relations are hampered by the standoff over the balloon, they exposed Washington's increased state of alertness.

U.S. Senators attend a classified briefing in Washington about the latest unknown objects shot down by the U.S. military

According to China, the balloon that was shot down on February 4 was a weather-monitoring aircraft. Beijing has claimed that Washington sent its own balloons into Chinese airspace, and on Tuesday it claimed that those balloons had also flown over other nations.
Since May 2022, U.S. balloons "flew around the world and illegally entered the airspace of China and other relevant countries at least ten times," according to Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, without supplying any further information or supporting documentation.

The U.S. military claims it routinely operates in accordance with international law in the East and South China Seas, Taiwan, and other areas where China has asserted disputed territorial claims.

Sailors recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

China's accusations are being disputed by the White House. Any claim that the US government operates surveillance balloons over the PRC is false, according to Adrienne Watson, a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council.

Beijing criticized Washington on Tuesday for its decision to impose sanctions on six Chinese entities it claims are connected to the balloon. However, there are some indications that the two nations are still working to stabilize their tumultuous relations.

In addition, Biden has stated that he does not think the incident damaged relations between the two countries, despite his repeated pledges to defend American airspace and criticism of China over the balloon.

U.S. Senators attend a classified briefing in Washington about the latest unknown objects shot down by the U.S. military

According to sources, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is considering meeting Wang Yi, China's top diplomat, in Munich this week after canceling a trip to Beijing due to the balloon.

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Major portions of the alleged Chinese spy balloon as well as critical electronics, according to the U.S. military, were found on Monday.

However, due to difficult weather making recovery operations, it has not yet recovered debris from the most recent three objects shot down.

The U.S. intelligence community believes the three objects could be "tied to some commercial or benign purpose," according to White House spokesman John Kirby, who told reporters on Tuesday that neither a group nor an individual has claimed ownership of them.

Three of the objects were shot down: one over Canada's Yukon, one over the Lake Huron, and one over the sea ice close to Deadhorse, Alaska.

The first of two missiles fired from an F-16 fighter jet at the object over Lake Huron on Sunday missed the object but landed safely in the water, according to the top U.S. general, Mark Milley, illustrating how difficult it is to bring down the three objects.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin attends a news conference in Beijing

Milley said at a news conference on Tuesday in Brussels, "We definitely tracked it all the way down."

Tuesday at the Capitol, senior American defense and military officials briefed senators in a classified setting. Republican senators urged Biden to disclose more details about the objects in public.

Following the briefing, Republican Senator Marco Rubio remarked that "ninety-five percent of what was discussed in that room today can be made public without jeopardizing the security of this country."

Shining BD