“There’s no reason why tensions in our bilateral relationship should escalate into some kind of conflict,” U.S. government National Security Council communications director John Kirby said Monday. Kirby clarified that they were acting in accordance with international law to launch the balloon over US territory. The US would have defended their airspace and their country.
China had criticized the United States’ launch of the balloon as a “clearly overreaction” by the United States that violated the spirit of international law. China reserves the right to respond if necessary, Beijing said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled his trip to Beijing after balloons appeared over the northwestern United States last week.
Tensions had been brewing between the two countries even before the Chinese balloon entered US airspace, Kirby said. Blinken’s visit should have helped ease those tensions. The aim was to revitalize the communication channels. The balloon incident hampered efforts to improve relations between the two superpowers. The visit will be made up once the conditions are met.
China had previously intensified its criticism of the US for launching the balloon. In protest, the State Department summoned the chargé d’affaires from the US embassy in Beijing. Vice Secretary of State Xie Feng said at Sunday’s meeting that the US has made efforts and progress on both sides to stabilize ties since Chinese head of state and party leader Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden met in November, “severely weakened and damaged”.
The balloon intrusion was just an “accident” caused by “force majeure”. “The facts are clear and cannot be distorted.” Despite this, the US had “played deaf” and urged “abuse of force against a civilian airship about to leave US airspace”.
The United States shot down the balloon, which had been flying over the United States for days, with a missile off the Atlantic coast of South Carolina on Sunday. China has been accused of using the balloon to spy on key military installations. The government in Beijing, on the other hand, spoke of a civilian research balloon that had gone far off course due to the westerly wind and insufficient navigation. The same justification has now been adopted for another Chinese balloon spotted over Colombia.
New balloon details revealed
After the balloon was shot down over the US, the debris is recovered off the coast of South Carolina. More details about the flying object were announced on Monday. The balloon was about 200 feet long and likely weighed as much as a small airplane, US Northern Command commander Glen VanHerck said.
Also, shots were only fired above water because it was feared that glass from solar panels or potentially hazardous material, such as batteries, could fall down. It was also expected that explosives would explode and the balloon could have been destroyed.
They are trying to “recover as much of the Chinese high-altitude balloon as possible, primarily for the safety of people in the region, but also to evaluate it and use it in every possible way,” VanHerck said. The naval survey ship Pathfinder used, among other things, sonar technology to measure the debris field. The entire field measures approximately 1500 by 1500 metres. Initially, the swell made working under water difficult. The operation takes place at a depth of about 15 meters, VanHerck said on Monday.
When asked about plans to return the recovered material to China, National Security Council communications director John Kirby said: “I am not aware of any such intent or plans to return it.” (sda/dpa)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
