Foreign Minister Anthony Blanken has canceled his visit to China after the alleged Chinese spy balloon was caught in the US.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blanken called the alleged Chinese spy balloon captured in the US a clear violation of US sovereignty and canceled his visit to China starting on Friday, February 3.
“After consulting with our interagency partners as well as with Congress, we have concluded that Secretary Anthony Blanken’s trip to China is not at this time,” a senior State Department official told reporters, according to Reuters. Conditions are not suitable.
He said that we have seen the statement of the People’s Republic of China expressing regret on this issue, but the presence of their balloon in our airspace is a clear violation of our sovereignty as well as international law and this is unacceptable. Is.
He said that the secretary told Wang Yi, director of the Central Foreign Office, early this morning that the trip needed to be postponed, but the secretary also indicated that as soon as the situation permitted. He will visit the People’s Republic of China at the earliest opportunity.
US officials had said that a Chinese spy balloon had been flying over the US for two days, a few days before US Secretary of State Anthony Blanken’s scheduled visit to Beijing.
The U.S. intercepted the balloon as it entered U.S. airspace and was spotted by a U.S. military aircraft, an official told reporters on condition of anonymity.
In addition, Canada’s defense ministry said a ‘high-altitude’ surveillance balloon had been spotted and, without giving further details, said it was in constant contact with the US.
China’s position
In a statement on Friday, China’s foreign ministry said the balloon was for civil meteorological and other scientific purposes and regretted that the aircraft had accidentally strayed into US airspace.
In November last year, US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed on a visit to China by Blinken, and the postponement of his visit is a setback for those in both countries who see the visit as an improvement in relations between the two countries. And were looking at it as an opportunity to reduce stress.
The US Secretary of State last visited China in 2017.
