Blinken postpones long-awaited China flight over a spy balloon

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has decided to postpone a trip to China after a Chinese spy balloon was discovered high above the US on Friday.

White House spokeswoman Karen Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One that President Joe Biden supported Blinken’s decision.

Blinken told his Chinese counterpart that it was “irresponsible” for Beijing to send a monitoring balloon over the US mainland as he explained why he had postponed the visit.

In a phone call with Wang Yi, Blinken noted “China’s statement of regret but conveyed that this is an irresponsible act and a clear violation of US sovereignty and international law that undermines the purpose of the trip,” a State Department statement said.

The postponement of Blinken’s trip, which was arranged in November by Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, is a blow to those on both sides who saw it as a belated opportunity to stabilize an increasingly fractious relationship. The last visit by a US Secretary of State was in 2017.

The US military said on Friday that a Chinese spy balloon has been spotted about 60,000 feet (18,300 meters) above the central United States, indicating its maneuverability.

The revelation of the spy balloon’s maneuverability directly challenges China’s assertion that it was simply a civilian balloon that strayed onto US soil after veering off course.

“We know that this is a Chinese (observation) balloon and it has the ability to maneuver,” Air Force Brigadier General said. Gen. Patrick Ryder said at a Pentagon briefing, declining to say exactly how it operated or who controls its flight path in China.

U.S. officials said U.S. President Joe Biden decided on Wednesday not to shoot down the balloon as it flew over Montana because of the U.S. military’s concerns about possible debris spread.

The Pentagon expects the blimp to continue flying over US airspace for a few more days, Ryder said, but declined to speculate on what options the US military might develop at the time as speculation swirls about whether Biden could still order the balloon’s destruction or perhaps its capture. .

The US military will not say exactly where to place the balloon over the central United States, Ryder said, saying it does not want to enter an “hour-by-hour” cycle of updates. He said that people in any US state could look at the sky if they wanted to.

“The audience certainly has the ability to look up into the sky and see where the balloon is,” Ryder said.

Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas said the spy balloon was over the northeastern part of his state and that its crew was in contact with law enforcement officials.

“I condemn any attempts by the Chinese to spy on Americans. President Biden must protect the sovereignty of the United States,” Marshall wrote on Twitter.

Ryder added that the balloon poses no danger to people on the ground.

It occurs amid growing political fallout over China’s balloon presence over the United States

Biden brushed off questions about the balloon when making remarks about the economy Friday morning.

Chinese spy satellites carry sensors similar to what US officials believe are on a spy balloon, raising questions about why Beijing would risk such a brazen act on the eve of a major diplomatic event.

However, officials said the Chinese spy balloon has taken a flight path that carries it over a number of sensitive sites. One of these locations could be military bases, including in Montana, which house silos for intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Billings Airport in Montana on Wednesday issued a ground stand as the military mobilized assets including F-22 fighter jets in case Biden orders the balloon’s downing.