The downing of a huge Chinese balloon off the US coast, followed by the shootdowns of two smaller objects over Alaska and Canada – and another over Michigan on Sunday – has raised concerns about North American security and further strained relations with China. Here is what we know so far: What were the four objects? The story begins in late January, when a giant Chinese balloon – which US officials have said was a surveillance balloon – drifted for days through US skies before being shot down on 4…
Tag: US foreign policy
White House rejects Republican fire over wait to down Chinese spy balloon
The US transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg, on Sunday rejected Republican criticism of Joe Biden over an eight-day wait to shoot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon which flew over US military sites. “The president gave instructions to have it shot down in a way that was safe,” Buttigieg told CNN’s State of the Union, of the operation off the Carolina coast on Saturday. “The debris field that was created by this balloon which was shot down, it’s about seven miles long. And so any time the military is considering an…
The Observer view on the real threat behind China’s spy balloon | Observer editorial
It must be admitted that the flap over an enormous Chinese balloon that flew or blew, unannounced, over the US and Canada last week has a certain funny side. Pentagon generals went on high alert, fearful that their missile silos in Montana were being spied on. Joe Biden, not normally a trigger-happy man, had to be persuaded not to shoot it down, and then changed his mind. Republicans accused the president of being weak on balloon defence. Red-faced officials in Beijing scrambled to talk the over-excited Americans down. The balloon,…
China says it has ‘no intention’ of violating US airspace amid spy balloon row – video
China has called for calm amid a growing diplomatic row with the US over suspected spy balloons, adding that Beijing was ‘verifying’ the reports. It comes after the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, indefinitely postponed a planned visit to Beijing after a large balloon was spotted in US airspace. ‘China is a responsible country that has always strictly abided by international laws, and it has no intention of violating the territory and airspace of any sovereign country,’ the foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said. The Guardian
China calls for calm amid growing row with US over suspected spy balloons
China has called for calm amid a growing diplomatic row with the US over suspected spy balloons. It comes after the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, indefinitely postponed a planned visit to Beijing after a huge balloon was spotted in US airspace. On Friday, a day after the first high-altitude balloon was identified over Montana, the Pentagon reported a second suspected spy balloon flying over Latin America. Amid growing tensions between the two countries – and Republican party claims that the Biden administration is not doing enough to deter…
US general’s ‘gut’ feeling of war with China sparks alarm over predictions
A leaked memo from a US four-star general saying his “gut” told him the US would be at war with China in 2025 has prompted warnings about the danger of “undisciplined” predictions of a Taiwan strait conflict. The memo, by the head of the US Air Mobility Command (AMC), Gen Mike Minihan, was the latest prediction of a Chinese military invasion of Taiwan, which have ranged from 2022 to 2049. It has triggered a debate about US readiness, accusations of warmongering, and concerns about desensitising people to the real risk…
US seals crucial military deal with the Philippines close to China ‘flashpoints’
The Philippines has granted the United States expanded access to its military bases, greatly enhancing Washington’s presence in the region at a time of growing concern about Chinese aggression. Washington would be given access to four additional military bases in “strategic areas of the country”, without specifying the locations, the Philippines’ Department of National Defence said on Thursday in a statement. The expanded access will fill a crucial gap in US positioning in the region, say analysts, and enable it to better monitor Chinese activity in the South China Sea…
US opens embassy in Solomon Islands after 30-year absence to counter China
The United States has opened an embassy in Solomon Islands after a 30-year absence as it seeks to boost diplomatic relations in the Pacific as a counter to China. The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, announced the news late on Wednesday, saying that “more than any other part of the world, the Indo-Pacific region – including the Pacific Islands – will shape the world’s trajectory in the 21st century”. The top US diplomat announced plans to open a diplomatic mission in the Pacific island nation during a visit to…
China attacks ‘unscrupulous’ US after reports of further crackdown on Huawei
China has reacted angrily to reports that the United States has stopped approving licences for American companies to export most items to China’s hi-tech company Huawei, accusing the US of deliberately targeting Chinese companies under the pretext of national security. US officials are creating a new formal policy of denial for shipping items to Huawei that would include items below the 5G level, including 4G items, wifi 6 and 7, artificial intelligence, and high-performance computing and cloud items, according to a Reuters report that quoted unnamed sources. Another source told…
All countries must help prevent ‘catastrophic’ war amid China-US tensions, Australian minister says
The Australian foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, will call on all countries to play their part to prevent a “catastrophic” war in the Indo-Pacific region. Amid increasing tensions between the United States and China, Wong will use a speech in London on Tuesday to warn that the region is becoming “more dangerous and volatile”. She will also welcome the United Kingdom’s increased involvement in the Indo-Pacific despite the ongoing focus on the conflict in Ukraine. The UK’s stance recognises that a war in the region would have far-reaching impacts across…