Blinken cancels trip to Beijing over Chinese spy balloon

A Chinese spy balloon has been spotted over Latin America, the Pentagon said Friday, a day after a similar craft was seen in American skies, causing the cancellation of a rare trip to Beijing by the American secretary. of State Antony Blinken.

The Pentagon said the first balloon was now heading east over the center of the United States, adding that it n was not shot down for security reasons.

Later Friday, Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said, "We are seeing reports of a balloon transiting through Latin America."

"We are now evaluating this is another Chinese surveillance balloon," he added, without specifying his location. exact.

Moments before Blinken's decision to cancel his trip — aimed at easing tensions between the two countries — China issued a rare statement of regret over of the first balloon and blamed the winds for pushing what he called a civilian airship into American airspace.

But President Joe's administration Biden described him as a Maneuverable "surveillance balloon".

With the rival Republican Party already on the offensive, Blinken postponed a two-day visit that was scheduled to begin on Sunday.

During of a phone call with senior Chinese official Wang Yi, Blinken said he "made it clear that the presence of this surveillance balloon in US airspace is a clear violation of US sovereignty and international law, that it is an irresponsible act.

Blinken, however, said he told Wang that “the United States is committed to diplomatic engagement with China and that I plan to visit Beijing when conditions permit.”

"The first step is to remove the surveillance tool from our airspace. That's what we're focused on," Blinken told reporters.

According to Chinese state news agency Xinhua, Wang said the two men discussed the incident "calmly and professionally".

"China is a responsible country and has always strictly adhered to international law," Wang told Blinken, as quoted by Xinhua.

“We do not accept any baseless speculation and hype,” he said, calling on both sides to “avoid errors of judgment and manage differences.”

Blinken would have been the first senior US diplomat to visit China since October 2018, signaling a thaw following intense friction under former President Donald Trump.

Last month, Blinken said he would use the trip to help establish "safeguards" to keep the relationship from spiraling into full conflict.

Republican lawmakers were quick to pounce on the ball incident, calling Biden — who has largely preserved, and at times expanded, Trump's hawkish China policy — weak.

“President Biden should stop coddling and placating Chinese Communists. Shoot the ball down now and exploit his tech package, which could be an intelligence boon,” tweeted Senator Tom Cotton, a prominent supporter of the hard line that had urged Blinken to cancel his trip.

"Knock down the ball!" added Donald Trump on his Truth social media platform.

- China expresses regret -

After initial hesitation, Beijing admitted ownership of the 'airship' and said it had veered off course due to the wind.

"The airship is from China. It is a civilian airship used for research purposes, primarily meteorological," said the statement attributed to a Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

"The Chinese side regrets the airship's involuntary entry into US airspace due to force majeure," she said, using the legal term for an act beyond human control. .

"The Chinese side will continue to communicate with the US side and properly handle this unexpected situation."

A US defense official said earlier that Biden asked for military options, but the Pentagon believed shooting down the object would expose people on the ground to debris.

The ball has "limited added value from an intelligence-gathering perspective," the defense official told reporters on condition of anonymity.

The United States is also widely suspected of spying on China, although usually with more advanced technology than balloons.

The Northwestern United States is home to sensitive airbases and nuclear weapons in underground silos.

- Prepare for the worst -

In the Philippines, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, visiting this week, agreed to expand the US military presence there, weeks after a separate troop deal with another regional ally, Japan.< /p>

US military moves show that the United States is preparing for potential conflict over Taiwan, the self-governing democracy that China claims as its own, despite diplomatic efforts.

Biden had a surprisingly cordial meeting in November with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of a summit in Bali, where they agreed to send Blinken to Beijing.

A US military officer recently told his forces to be ready for war with China.