Blinken postpones trip to Beijing after Chinese spy balloon spotted over US, officials say [View all]
This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Lasher (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).
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!"
= new reply since forum marked as read