Criticism of Biden about handling balloon affair does not end “Let’s at least die together” – this is how those affected experienced the earthquake

After the suspected Chinese spy balloon was shot down off the US coast, domestic political debate about how to deal with China continues. Prominent Republicans accused US President Joe Biden of weakness towards the emerging superpower shortly before his highly anticipated State of the Union address on Tuesday night (local time). Meanwhile, the US Navy and Coast Guard fished the balloon debris out of the sea. An analysis should provide information about what information the balloon actually collected.

The balloon posed a threat to national security, House Republican leader Steve Scalise said Tuesday. There were ample opportunities to launch the balloon across the Pacific. Instead, Biden let the balloon fulfill its mission. You should never have allowed that. Republican Senator Ted Cruz said Biden should have launched the balloon as soon as it entered US airspace. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer responded that such criticism was premature and served only partisan purposes.

Biden was expected to address the balloon launched across the Atlantic and relations with China in his State of the Union address to both houses of Congress. He had previously re-defended his actions. He ordered the balloon to be launched as soon as it was appropriate, he said Monday. US National Security Council communications director John Kirby said the fact that the balloon had been in US airspace for so long had given the US the opportunity to learn a lot about the craft and its capabilities. Care was taken to prevent the balloon from collecting important information during its flight.

Kirby said similar incidents occurred under former President Trump. During his tenure, Chinese balloons briefly hovered over the United States at least three times. But that was only found out after Biden took office. Trump refuted the charges. There was no way Chinese balloons had flown over the United States during his tenure as president, he wrote Tuesday on his online network Truth Social. Other Republicans jumped at him. MP Marco Rubio wrote on Twitter that the latest balloon incident is in no way comparable to previous incidents.

Meanwhile, China intensified its criticism of the US for launching the balloon. “He posed no threat to anyone or to US national security,” said Mao Ning, spokeswoman for the Beijing foreign ministry. The US should handle such incidents “in a calm and professional manner” without resorting to violence. The launch was a “clearly overreaction”. When asked if China is demanding the balloon be returned, the spokeswoman said only: “The airship does not belong to the United States.”

The US is still pulling the debris from the balloon from the sea off the coast of South Carolina. A return to China is probably not the intention. Kirby said he was not aware of any intent or plans to return the balloon’s remains. So far, little has been made public about the internal workings or technical equipment of the balloon. However, the Pentagon said on Monday that the device was 200 feet long and weighed about the same as a small plane. In addition, the balloon was conditionally maneuverable, Kirby explained. The vehicle had “a propeller and a rudder”. (sda/dpa)