Key Takeaways:
- The US Department of Defense has spotted an alleged Chinese spy balloon in its airspace
- China denied that it was conducting a surveillance, claiming the winds carried the balloon into US territory
- US President Joe Biden's Government has refused to shoot down the balloon despite calls to do so
YEREVAN (CoinChapter.com) — A Chinese spy balloon has created panic in the United States. Pentagon, the country’s Department of Defence, spotted it freely hovering above US airspace in the northern state of Montana. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has decided to undermine US security by refusing to shoot it down. Needless to say, his political opponents are furious.
The incident, spotted by many, has created a political storm in the country. The low-tech Chinese ballon has left the country shocked and divided. While some have called on authorities to shoot it down, others have questioned the Pentagon for their security lapse. How could an enemy spy balloon freely float into the country and document sensitive data?
China, meanwhile, has denied that it has used to balloon to spy over the US. According to Beijing, it drifted into US territory thanks to heavy winds.
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Biden Administration refuses to shoot down the Chinese spy balloon
Despite the security concerns and calls from Republican opponents to neutralize the potential threat, the US Government has refused to shoot down the balloon.
According to the Pentagon, it is too high above the airspace to represent a direct threat. Moreover, authorities have argued that it is too risky to fire anything at it as the debris falling from it could pose a huge risk to people on the ground.
“The balloon is currently travelling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground.”
Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Patrick Ryder told reporters.
The refusal to shoot down the balloon comes despite reports that it is flying over sensitive sites. The state of Montana hosts the Malmstrom Air Force Base. There are around 150 intercontinental ballistic missile launch facilities in the said base alone.
Meanwhile, Joe Biden’s political opponents are unhappy with the decision. Nikki Haley, the former US Ambassador to the United Nations under US President Donald Trump accused the Biden Administration of weakness for refusing to take action.
Kevin McCarthy, the newly-elected Republican Speaker of the US House of Representatives, also slammed Biden for his inaction.
“First Biden refused to defend our borders. Now he won’t defend our skies,”
McCarthy, said.
The speaker also demanded a “Gang of Eight briefing,” referring to a classified national security briefing to a select group that includes the top two leaders of the House and Senate.
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Anthony Blinken postpones his Beijing trip amid Chinese denial
Following the development, the U.S. State Department announced that Secretary Antony Blinken has postponed his scheduled trip to Beijing. The decision was also communicated to the Chinese side.
The US Secretary of State was due to leave for China on Friday. His refusal to depart has now created fresh tension between the two superpowers.
“In my call today with Director Wang Yi, I made clear that the presence of this surveillance balloon in US airspace is a clear violation of US sovereignty and international law, that it’s an irresponsible act, and that the (People’s Republic of China) decision to take this action on the eve of my planned visit is detrimental to the substantive discussions that we were prepared to have,”
Blinken told reporters Friday.
However, former US Vice President Mike Pence is not pleased with the move. He has called on Pence to go to China to warn the Chinese not to do that again.
While China did not deny that the balloon belonged to them, they did not agree with the sabotage allegations. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministery, it is a civilian airship used for research, mainly for meteorological purposes. Moreover, the Chinese side claimed it drifted to the US airspace owing to a force majeure situation.
“Affected by the Westerlies and with limited self-steering capability, the airship deviated far from its planned course. The Chinese side regrets the unintended entry of the airship into US airspace… will continue communicating with the US side and properly handle this unexpected situation..”
the announcement read.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden will have more explaining to do. The Pentagon has now announced it has spotted a second Chinese balloon flying over South America.
Will the US Department of Defense eventually shoot it down? Time will tell.
