Blinken postpones trip to Beijing after Chinese spy balloon spotted over US, officials say
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Source: cnn
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has postponed his upcoming trip to China in response to the flying of a suspected Chinese spy balloon over the United States, according to two US officials. The postponement marks a significant new phase in the tensions between Washington and Beijing.
The Chinese foreign ministry claimed Friday that the suspected Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon flying over the continental United States is a "civilian airship" used mainly for weather research that deviated from its planned course.
The statement, by a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, is the first admission that the airship originated in China since the Pentagon revealed it was tracking the balloon on Thursday.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/03/politics/china-us-balloon-intl/index.html
yeah, weather balloon my butt, it's checking for ski conditions over Montana?
Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said on Friday that the US Defense Department knows the suspected surveillance balloon floating over the northern US "has the ability to maneuver."
"The balloon is maneuverable, clearly it's violated US air space, and again we've communicated that fact to the [People's Republic of China]," Ryder said.
The spokesperson did not indicate any details on how it can be maneuvered.
time to move the goal post for china apologist "since usa spies on china, it is okay for china too!"
packman
(16,296 posts)Had a Repuke congressperson on discussing the wayward balloon and he brought up Biden, Afghanistan, Covid, Wuhon, the laptop and every other thing he could throw against the wall.
efhmc
(14,935 posts)Which is eaily taken care of with a well place kaboom.
roamer65
(36,961 posts)Ray Bruns
(4,506 posts)IronLionZion
(46,844 posts)but it was the aliens
McKim
(2,412 posts)So just ignore it and send Blinken to China. We need diplomacy not war mongering! Just stop it!
Hostilities do not lead to good ends. It this a trial balloon for the Pentagon which seems to be itching for a war on China? Bad stock market news solution: Lets ramp up hostilities and sell some more war materials! ENOUGH ALREADY! Really, we cant even feed and house our people!
Ray Bruns
(4,506 posts)otchmoson
(71 posts)Perhaps it isn't being shot down lest it release a payload of airborne viral particles?
Owl
(3,688 posts)ancianita
(38,083 posts)And why isn't it captured? Or even shot down?
Why are PTB just watching it even as it does its intel gathering?
WTF!
Alexander Of Assyria
(7,839 posts)Sacrilège, I speak!?
ancianita
(38,083 posts)got sloppy in controlling.
Evolve Dammit
(18,335 posts)Alexander Of Assyria
(7,839 posts)Twitter has passed judgment and sentence on the balloon! No appeals!
Lasher
(28,233 posts)Duplicate threads are not allowed in the LBN Forum. Please continue discussion in this earlier LBN thread.