China accuses U.S. of using ‘indiscriminate’ force as military searches for balloon remnants. Between the world’s two largest economies. HONG KONG – China accused the United States. On Monday of “arbitrary use of force” for shooting down a suspected spy balloon over the weekend. While the US military searched for remnants off the Carolina coast.
The dispute over the balloons further strained tense relations.
Between the world’s two largest economies. Leading Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to cancel a planned visit to Beijing.
The Biden administration says China is using high-altitude balloons for surveillance purposes. China said it was a “civilian unmanned airship” used for meteorological research. That went astray and said on Monday it had lodged a formal complaint with the US embassy in Beijing.
Vice Foreign Minister Jie Feng said the US had “overreacted. And violated the spirit of international law and international practice,. Said Vice Foreign Minister Ji Feng in embassy comments posted on the foreign ministry’s website.
He said the US move “affected and damaged. The two countries’ efforts to stabilize relations since President Joe. Biden met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Indonesia in November. Which paved the way for Blinken’s visit to China. China reserves the right to take further steps, Xi said.
Last week’s revelation that the US military was monitoring the balloon caused. A political uproar, with Republicans criticizing Biden for not shooting. It down earlier defense officials. Who said the balloon had limited use for intelligence gathering, waited until. It was over the Atlantic before shooting. It down with a single missile from an F-22 Raptor on Saturday afternoon.
A senior Biden administration official said Sunday. That while every possibility was considered, “the only viable way to bring it down was the way we did it.”
The official said the remains of the balloon will be analyzed as they are removed from the water.
“Closer observation of the balloon during flight gave us. A better understanding of the Chinese program. And confirmed that its purpose was surveillance,” said the official. Who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The official said Chinese surveillance balloons flew over the continental US. Once before during the Biden administration. And at least three times during Donald Trump’s presidency. Which were discovered only after he left office.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning confirmed. That one of the balloons seen over Latin America was also Chinese, saying. It was undergoing flight tests for civilian purposes, had limited steering capabilities. And had entered the airspace of countries in the region.
“China is a responsible country and we always act under international law. He said at a regular news briefing on Monday.
Mao did not say which Chinese company or organization owned the balloon. That landed in the United States. But said the government would “protect the legitimate rights. And interests of relevant Chinese companies.”
As for China, the US reaction to the balloon suggests. That not much will come of Blinken’s visit anyway. Benjamin Ho, assistant professor in the China Program. At the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, told todaystrendnews News.
“If the Americans downplay this issue, the Chinese may take it.
As a sign that the Americans are serious about meeting them. And don’t want to continue this escalation of bad relations,” he said. “But that didn’t happen in this case, so in other words we’re back to square one.”
Judd Blanchett, a China expert at the Center for Strategic. And International Studies in Washington, said that while the balloon incident was a big mistake. By Beijing, the postponement of Blinken’s visit was “a bit. A knee-jerk reaction” that the White House could have demonstrated. Concerns about domestic politics.
It “shows a profound sensitivity to the optics of these early. Strategies of administration for reestablishing relationships,” he said.
Zhu Feng, director of Nanjing University’s Institute of International Studies. Ssaid China will remain a contentious issue as the 2024 US election approaches.
“Us. politicians are trying to use the China factor to heighten. The Chinese threat to intensify Americans’ sense of crisis. And increase domestic cohesion,” he said.
Besides, he said he expected contacts between the two countries to resume. Noting that Biden and Xi had spoken by phone several times over. The past two years despite bilateral tensions.
“China does not want a new cold war between the two sides, much less a complete decoupling,” he said. “What China wants more is to develop its own economy and the lives of its people.”
