US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has confirmed that he postponed his upcoming trip to China in response to the flying of a suspected Chinese spy balloon over the United States, in what marks a significant new phase in the tensions between Washington and Beijing. Blinken said he told the Director of the CCP Central Foreign Affairs Office Wang Yi this morning that the balloon flight was an “irresponsible act” and a “clear violation of US sovereignty” and international law. The associated Press has the story:
Blinken: ‘Chinese Balloon Violates US Sovereignty’
Newslooks- (AP)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he is postponing his trip this weekend to China in light of the suspected Chinese spy balloon heading across the US.
“We’re confident this is a Chinese surveillance balloon,” he said.
Blinken said that it was “detrimental” to discussions that officials planned to have during his visit. He added that the US and China will continue to keep lines of communication open, including to address the balloon.
“Once we detected the balloon, the US government acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information,” Blinken said at a news conference Friday. “We communicated with the PRC (People’s Republic of China) government directly through multiple channels about this issue. Members of my team consulted with our partners in other agencies, and in Congress. We also engaged our close allies and partners to inform them of the presence of the surveillance balloon in our airspace.”
Blinken said he told the Director of the CCP Central Foreign Affairs Office Wang Yi this morning that the balloon flight was an “irresponsible act” and a “clear violation of US sovereignty” and international law.
He said he plans to visit Beijing “when conditions allow.
Pilots are reporting sightings of the suspected Chinese balloon
Pilots flying at high altitudes have spotted the suspected Chinese spy balloon as it drifts over the central United States.
“Derelict balloon adrift,” noted the crew of a Cessna Citation private jet in a weather report, which came into the Federal Aviation Administration around 11:30 a.m. ET.
The pilot of the flight, which was at 43,000 feet, said the balloon was 20 miles north of Kansas City International Airport at about 50,000 feet. The publicly-available pilot weather observation is known as a Pilot Report or PIREP. Other pilots are reporting seeing the balloon to air traffic controllers.
