Beijing affirmed this Saturday that the press and politicians of the United States have taken advantage of Washington’s allegations that China sent a spy balloon over its territory to “defame” the Asian giant.
“Some politicians and media in the United States use the incident as a pretext to attack and smear China”, indicated the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement released after the head of Washington diplomacy, Antony Blinken, suspended a scheduled trip to Beijing.
“China (…) has never violated the territory and airspace of any sovereign country,” the Chinese ministry said.
In a press conference on Friday, Blinken indicated that his visit would be rescheduled when “conditions allow it”, insisting on the need to maintain “open communication channels” with Beijing.
“The priority now is to ensure that this spy device leaves our airspace,” Blinken told reporters.
Blinken’s visit to China would have been the first by a US secretary of state since October 2018.which would indicate a thaw after friction under former Republican President Donald Trump, details the agency afp.
The Pentagon assured on Thursday that it had no doubts about the Chinese origin of the aircraft and its use for espionage purposes.
Beijing admitted on Friday that it is indeed a Chinese device, but that “It is a civil aircraft, used for research purposes, mainly meteorological” that due to the winds, “deviated from its trajectory”, according to a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry.
For his part, Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder estimated that The balloon will remain over US territory “for a few more days.”
He reiterated that the balloon flies above commercial air traffic and does not pose “any military or physical threat to people on the ground.” But he refused to specify whether the device moved by the wind or in a controlled manner.
According to US media, the balloon flew over the Aleutian Islands, in the north of the Pacific Ocean, and Canada before entering in United States airspace about two days ago.
In addition, a second Chinese “surveillance” balloon was reported to be flying over Latin America. “We are seeing reports of a balloon transiting Latin America,” Ryder said. “We now assess that it is another Chinese surveillance balloon,” he added, without specifying its exact location. (YO)
Source: Eluniverso
At 247 News Agency, Jason has covered a wide range of topics, from politics and business to crime and entertainment. He is highly respected by his colleagues and peers, and his articles are widely read and shared. With a passion for news and a commitment to accuracy, Jason Root is a valuable asset to the 247 News Agency team.
