China balloon: US going to take care of it, says Joe Bidenon February 4, 2023 at 6:15 pm

- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -

The president faces pressure to shoot down the craft, but China denies it is being used to spy on the US.

This video can not be played

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.

President Joe Biden says the US is “going to take care of” a suspected Chinese spy balloon that has been flying across the US in recent days.

Mr Biden, who did not offer further details, is facing intense pressure domestically to shoot the object down.

Officials advised against such a move due to the danger of falling debris.

The incident comes amid fraying tensions between the US and China, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling off a trip to Beijing over it.

Mr Blinken said the “surveillance” balloon’s presence was “an irresponsible act”. However, China – which says it is weather ship blown astray – has urged “cool-headed” handling of the dispute.

The giant white balloon was last spotted over Missouri and is expected to reach the east coast of the US near the Carolinas during the weekend.

In another development on Friday, the US reported a second Chinese balloon floating over Latin America.

China, which has expressed regret over the incident, said on Saturday it had “never violated the territory and airspace of any sovereign country”.

In a statement, its foreign ministry played down the cancellation of Mr Blinken’s visit and said neither side had formally announced such a plan.

It added that Beijing “would not accept any groundless conjecture or hype” and accused “some politicians and media in the United States” of using the incident “as a pretext to attack and smear China.”

According to US officials, the balloon floated over Alaska and Canada before appearing over the US state of Montana, which is home to a number of sensitive nuclear missile sites.

The incident angered top US officials, with Mr Blinken saying he had told Beijing the balloon’s presence was “a clear violation of US sovereignty and international law” and “an irresponsible act” on the eve of his visit to China.

America’s top diplomat had been set to visit Beijing from 5 to 6 February to hold talks on a wide range of issues, including security, Taiwan and Covid-19. It would have been the first high-level US-China meeting there in years.

But plans faltered after US defence officials announced they were tracking a giant surveillance balloon over the US on Thursday.

While the Pentagon said the balloon was “travelling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic” and did “not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground”, its presence has sparked outrage.

On Friday, China finally acknowledged the balloon was its property, saying it was a civilian airship used for meteorological research, which deviated from its route because of bad weather.

And late on Friday, the Pentagon said a second Chinese spy balloon had been spotted – this time over Latin America with reported sightings over Costa Rica and Venezuela.

China has so far made no public comments on the reported second balloon.

Graphic of high altitude balloon, showing helium filled balloon, solar panels and instruments bay which can include cameras, radar and communications equipment. They can fly at heights of 80,000ft-120,000ft, higher than fighter jets and commercial aircraft
- Advertisement -

Discover

Sponsor

Latest

Desmond Tutu: Obama joins tributes to South Africa anti-apartheid heroon December 26, 2021 at 3:30 pm

The former US president praises the churchman who helped end apartheid, after his death aged 90.The former US president praises the churchman who helped...

Premier League: What’s on the line in the final week of the season?on May 15, 2022 at 7:45 pm

With 15 games of the Premier League season left, the title race, battle for Europe and relegation are still on the line. Who needs...

The Papers: ‘Travel carnage worsens’ and PM fuels Tory angeron May 30, 2022 at 11:54 pm

Airport cuts put holidays at risk, and Boris Johnson facing leadership challenges, lead the papers.

Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022: Everything you need to know about Friday’s drawon March 31, 2022 at 11:37 am

The World Cup draw is on Friday - so how does it work and who could England, Wales or Scotland play?

Australia: Watch ‘curious’ whale swim alongside kayaker in Sydneyon June 26, 2023 at 4:26 am

Drone footage shows a humpback whale swimming alongside a kayaker near Bondi Beach in Australia.Drone footage shows a humpback whale swimming alongside a kayaker...