A scheduled diplomatic visit to China over the weekend has been canceled by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The choice was made in response to Thursday’s discovery of a Chinese balloon flying over American territory that was deemed sensitive. The U.S. described the balloon as a surveillance vehicle. However, a Chinese official said that it was an erroneous weather research satellite. The choice was made in the final hours before Blinken’s departure for China. Blinken and President Joe Biden determined that it would be preferable to postpone the trip for the time being, an official from the United States told the Associated Press.
It was thought that Blinken’s discussions with top Chinese officials would help them reach an understanding on a variety of topics. These concerns can relate to trade policy, climate change, North Korea, Taiwan, human rights, China’s claims in the South China Sea, and Russia’s conflict in Ukraine. The scheduled time for the meetings was Sunday through Monday. U.S. military sources reported on Thursday that the Chinese balloon was passing over Montana. At Malmstrom Air Force Base in the western state, there are 150 intercontinental ballistic missile silos. In Montana, Chase Doak resides in Billings. He initially believed the balloon to be a star, he told Reuters.
According to the official, the surveillance balloon was intended to pass above the missile fields in Montana. The flyover would have “limited” intelligence value, according to the United States. According to the official, China may still obtain the data by employing different technology, like spy satellites. US Defense Department spokesman Brigadier General Patrick Ryder. “Traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground,” he told reporters on Thursday. Nonetheless, politicians and government officials were both taken aback by the balloon’s finding. The Biden administration was pushed to take more aggressive action against China by certain members of the US Congress.
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