BEIJING/WASHINGTON — A diplomatic rift between China and the United States deepened on Tuesday with Beijing accusing Washington of flying high-altitude balloons into its airspace, because the US navy examined particles of a suspected Chinese spy balloon it downed this month.
The Chinese balloon, which Beijing denies was a spy vessel, spent per week flying over the United States and Canada earlier than President Joe Biden ordered it shot on Feb. 4. The US navy has since carried out three extra shootdowns because it combs the skies for objects that weren’t being captured by radar.
The White House stated on Tuesday it was nonetheless looking for particles from the newest, unmanned objects, and had not seen any indication they have been a part of China’s spy program. But they uncovered Washington’s heightened sense of alert because the standoff over the balloon delays efforts to reset bilateral relations.
China says the balloon shot down on Feb. 4 was a civilian weather-monitoring plane. It has accused Washington of sending its personal balloons into Chinese airspace, an allegation Beijing reiterated on Tuesday.
US balloons “flew around the world and illegally entered the airspaces of China and other relevant countries at least ten times” since May 2022, Chinese overseas ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin stated.
Wang didn’t present particulars on the opposite nations concerned, declined to specify which components of Chinese airspace the incursions occurred or present images as proof.
The White House has disputed China’s allegations. Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, tweeted on Monday: “Any claim that the US government operates surveillance balloons over the PRC is false.”
Washington has imposed sanctions on six Chinese entities it says are tied to the balloon, an motion which drew criticism from Beijing on Tuesday. But there are some indicators the 2 nations are nonetheless searching for to inject stability into turbulent relations.
Biden, who has repeatedly vowed to guard US airspace and criticized China over the balloon, has additionally stated that he doesn’t imagine relations between the 2 nations have been weakened by the incident.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who postponed a deliberate journey to Beijing over the balloon, is contemplating assembly China’s prime diplomat Wang Yi in Munich this week, sources stated.
‘Commercial or benign function’
The US navy stated on Monday it had recovered vital electronics from the suspected Chinese spy balloon in addition to giant sections of the vessel itself.
But it has not but recovered particles from the newest three objects shot down, with robust climate situations making restoration operations tough.
White House spokesperson John Kirby advised reporters on Tuesday that no group or particular person has claimed the three objects, and that the US intelligence group believes they might be “tied to some commercial or benign purpose.”
The objects embody an object downed over sea ice close to Deadhorse, Alaska, one introduced down over Canada’s Yukon and a 3rd shot down over Lake Huron.
Demonstrating the problem of taking down the three objects, the highest US normal, Mark Milley, stated the primary of two missiles fired from an F-16 fighter jet on the object over Lake Huron on Sunday missed the thing, however landed harmlessly within the water.
“We certainly tracked it all the way down,” Milley advised a news convention in Brussels on Tuesday.
Canada’s protection minister, Anita Anand, stated on Tuesday Canadian authorities have been persevering with to seek for particles in central Yukon, describing the territory as “extremely rugged” and “extremely remote.” — Reuters
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
