Spy balloon: US Secretary of State postpones trip to Beijing Pope in South Sudan: Hope for a turning point for peace

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled a trip to Beijing scheduled for the weekend over allegations of US espionage against China. The visit should be rescheduled as soon as circumstances permit, a senior State Department official said in Washington on Friday. Blinken was originally supposed to leave on Friday.

Already tense relations between the US and China are burdened by new disruptions: the US military accuses Beijing of placing a large spy balloon over the northern United States. The US Department of Defense made the discovery public Thursday evening (local time). Accordingly, there were also considerations to shoot down the balloon.

After hesitation, Beijing admitted that it was a Chinese flying object, but that it had only been used for scientific purposes and had accidentally deviated from its orbit. “China regrets the unexpected force majeure access to US airspace,” the State Department said in a statement.

The US State Department official said he had read the statement. However, the presence of this balloon in US airspace is a “clear violation of our sovereignty” and international law. “It is unacceptable that this has happened.” The US government stands by its assessment of the incident. Therefore, the conditions for a visit are currently not given.

The trip will not be canceled completely, but only postponed, according to the newspaper. The incident, just days before the scheduled talks, was seen as a provocation in the US. The balloon was spotted over the northwestern US state of Montana on Wednesday, according to the Pentagon. He entered US airspace a few days ago. The trajectory is followed closely.

A senior Defense Department official said Division Chief Lloyd Austin had convened Pentagon leadership to discuss how to proceed. President Joe Biden was also informed and requested military options. Launching the balloon was being considered, the official said.

F-22 fighter jets were also put on standby for the time being and air traffic in Montana’s largest city, Billings, was temporarily suspended. Due to the danger of falling debris, it was ultimately decided not to destroy the balloon. However, several precautions have been taken to protect sensitive information.

The Chinese government initially said Friday it would investigate the reports and warned against hasty speculation. A little later, another statement followed: the State Department rejected the charge of espionage, but admitted a certain border crossing. “China Regrets Unexpected Force Majeure Access to US Airspace.” (sda/dpa)