Downed Chinese Spy Balloon Sparks Global Tension
Tensions have risen due to the Chinese high-altitude balloon that traversed the US before being shot down, as the initial debris was recovered from the Atlantic coast.
China accused the US of overreaction and reckless use of military power in destroying the Chinese balloon, expressing concerns over its impact on bilateral relations.
Joe Biden stated that the episode had not undermined the relationship between Washington and Beijing, informing journalists: “We conveyed to China our stance and they comprehend it. We won’t retreat.”
A spokesperson from the state department, Ned Price, stated that the secretary of state, Antony Blinken, had alerted his counterpart, Wang Yi, on Friday that the US would take necessary measures to defend their interests.
Price added that Beijing should not have been taken aback by the shooting down of the balloon since Blinken had warned of US actions.
Price went on to say that if the scenario was reversed and it was a US airship flying over China, the reaction from Beijing would have been anticipated.
China, on the other hand, claimed that the balloon was a weather balloon that had veered off course.
China’s Vice Foreign Minister, Xie Feng, lodged a formal complaint with the US embassy accusing the US of overreacting to an accident caused by forces beyond control.
He also accused the US of dealing a serious blow to efforts to stabilize China-US relations and called on the US to refrain from taking further actions that could harm China’s interests and escalate tensions.
