The United States wants to avoid a deterioration in relations – and emphasizes that the launch of the alleged spy balloon was its right. China sees it differently.
After the launch of the Chinese observation balloon in the US, the US government wants to avoid escalating tensions between the two countries.
“There is no reason for the tensions in our bilateral relationship to escalate into some kind of conflict,” said the US government’s National Security Council communications director, John Kirby. Kirby clarified that they acted in accordance with international law to launch the balloon over US territory. The US would have defended their airspace and their country.
Beijing is outraged
China had criticized the launch of the balloon by the United States as an “obvious overreaction” by the United States that violated the spirit of international law. China reserves the right to respond as necessary, Beijing said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled his trip to Beijing after the balloons appeared over the Northwest of the United States last week.
Tensions between the two countries existed even before the Chinese balloon entered US airspace, Kirby said. Blinken’s visit should have helped ease those tensions. The aim was to revive the communication channels. The balloon incident hampered efforts to improve relations between the two great powers. The visit will be rescheduled as soon as the conditions are met.
China had previously intensified its criticism of the US for launching the balloon. In protest, the State Department summoned the chargé d’affaires of the US embassy in Beijing. Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng said at Sunday’s meeting that the US has made efforts and progress on both sides to stabilize ties since China’s head of state and party leader Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden met in November, the foreign ministry said , “seriously impaired and damaged”.
The penetration of the balloon was only an “accident” that happened due to “force majeure”. “The facts are clear and cannot be twisted.” Despite this, the US had “played deaf” and insisted on “abusing force against a civilian airship that was about to leave US airspace”.
Was the balloon used for espionage?
The United States shot down the balloon, which had been flying over the United States for days, with a rocket on Sunday off the Atlantic coast of South Carolina. China has been accused of using the balloon to spy on important military installations. The government in Beijing, on the other hand, spoke of a civilian research balloon that had drifted far off course due to the westerly wind drift and insufficient navigation. The same justification has now been adopted for another Chinese balloon spotted over Colombia.
After the balloon was shot down over the USA, the debris is being salvaged off the coast of South Carolina. Further details about the flying object were announced on Monday. The balloon was about 200 feet tall and probably weighed as much as a small airliner, said US Northern Command commander Glen VanHerck. It was also only shot above the water because it was feared that glass from solar panels or potentially dangerous material, for example from batteries, could have fallen down. It was also expected that explosives would detonate and the balloon could have been destroyed.
salvage work in progress
They are trying to “recover as much of the Chinese high-altitude balloon as possible, primarily for the safety of people in the region, but also to evaluate it and use it in any way we can,” VanHerck said. The naval survey ship Pathfinder used, among other things, sonar technology to measure the debris field. The entire field has an approximate size of 1500 by 1500 meters. Due to the swell, the work under water was initially made more difficult. The operation takes place in around 15 meters of water, said VanHerck.
Communications Director Kirby, when asked if there were any plans to return the recovered material to China, said: “I am not aware of any such intention or any plans to return it.”
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
