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Relations between the US and China have reached an all-time low. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the appearance of a “Chinese surveillance balloon” in US airspace “unacceptable” and “irresponsible”. China on Saturday firmly rejected allegations of US espionage. “We do not accept unfounded speculation and propaganda,” the foreign ministry in Beijing quoted top foreign politician Wang Yi from his telephone conversation with Blinken.

Due to the incidents, Blinken has canceled his visit to Beijing China, which was expected for Sunday. It would be the first visit by a US secretary of state to China since 2018. According to media reports, Blinken would also be received by Chinese head of state and party leader Xi Jinping. Although expectations for the visit were not high, there was hope that the visit would calm the troubled relationship.

The world expects the US and China to conduct their relations responsibly, Blinken said at a news conference in Washington on Friday. The US is doing it and he expects China to do the same. He also told China’s top diplomat Wang Yi on the phone, Blinken explained. US President Joe Biden has not commented on the incident in several public appearances.

Another balloon over Latin America

Meanwhile, according to US information, another possible spy balloon is hovering over Latin America. “We are seeing reports of a balloon flying over Latin America. We are working to find out if this is another Chinese surveillance balloon,” Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said in Washington. Initially, there was no information about the second balloon from Beijing.

A State Department spokesperson said the balloon was being used over the United States “for meteorological and other scientific research.” He was invaded by “force majeure” in US airspace. “Due to the westerly wind drift and limited control options, the airship has deviated far from the planned route,” said the spokesman. “Some politicians and media in the US have taken advantage of the situation to attack and discredit China.”

The Pentagon did not accept this. “We know it’s a surveillance balloon,” Ryder said. The Department of Defense announced Thursday evening the sighting of the first balloon in US airspace. At that time, the balloon would be over the northwestern state of Montana. The flying object has been in sight for a few days.

At noon Friday, Ryder said the balloon was hovering over the central United States. It was said to be heading east. Matthew Smith, a US citizen who says he usually watches storms, said on CNN that he saw the balloon over Missouri on Friday.

The most important thing is to get the balloon out of US airspace, Secretary of State Blinken said. The flying object is highly maneuverable, Pentagon spokesman Ryder said. It is believed that he will fly over US territory for several more days. However, the balloon does not pose a military threat, the Pentagon said. At its current height of more than 18 kilometers, it poses no threat to people on the ground or to air traffic.

Found near air force base

The balloon is also of limited use for collecting information. However, the balloon’s proximity to a Montana air base, which caused a stir, according to the Wall Street Journal newspaper, caused 150 Minuteman III ICBMs equipped with nuclear warheads.

There were also calls to shoot down the balloon. House Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Michael McCaul said the balloon should never have entered US airspace. The government must act quickly to get the balloon out. Former President Donald Trump wrote on his online network Truth Social: “Shoot the balloon.” However, the Pentagon initially rejected it. The falling debris could pose a danger to people on the ground.

The chairman of the renowned foreign policy think tank Council on Foreign Relations, based in New York, Richard Haass, also told CNN TV that the balloon should be shot down. The expert criticized Blinken’s cancellation of his trip to China. Right now it is important to talk to China.

Blinken argued that the United States was in contact with China and diplomatic channels were open. However, China’s actions undermined the purpose of the trip to put relations with China on a more solid footing. The balloon’s intrusion into US airspace is a clear violation of US sovereignty and a violation of international law.

Loud calls for a tougher approach to China came from the ranks of US Republicans. Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy warned that Biden should not be silent about the “brutal disregard for American sovereignty”. Former Pentagon boss Mark Esper, who served under Trump, also spoke of a “brutal action”. He told CNN, “The Chinese have been spying on us for decades.” The US should make it clear that they would not put up with this. “You have to meet the Chinese on an equal footing,” he warned. “They only respond to determination.”

Relations between the two countries have been tense for some time. China’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, Chinese threats against Taiwan, Beijing’s claims in the South China Sea, the trade war and US export controls on high-tech are all causing discord. China accuses the US of trying to halt its rise and pursue a new Cold War. (sda/dpa)