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Antony Blinken postpones his trip to Beijing after the appearance of an alleged Chinese spy balloon in the US.

2023-02-03T15:48:36.218Z


Two US officials reported the decision to the top US diplomat. It is due to the appearance of a supposed spy balloon flying over the US discovered this Thursday. 


(CNN) --

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has postponed his upcoming trip to China in response to an alleged Chinese spy balloon appearing in US skies, according to two US officials.

The postponement of the trip marks a new phase in tensions between Washington and Beijing.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Friday that the suspected Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon flying over the US mainland is a "civilian airship" used mainly for weather research, and that it deviated from its planned course. .

The statement by a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman is the first admission that the flying object left China since the Pentagon revealed it was tracking the balloon on Thursday.

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A US military official said the incident was "undoubtedly serious" due to the "audacity" of the Chinese government, beyond any intelligence gains.

While existing satellites can collect similar amounts of information, the timing of the spy balloon's appearance, just before Blinken's planned trip, and the fact that it is right over the US contribute to the gravity of the situation, he said. the official.

The trip of the top US diplomat to the Chinese capital was in response to President Joe Biden's meeting with Xi Jinping in Bali late last year.

US President Joe Biden meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 leaders' summit in Bali, Indonesia on November 14, 2022. (Credit: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque).

“On China, as you know, President Biden and President Xi had a very open and candid conversation during the last G20 meeting in Bali, and they talked about our mutual intentions,” Blinken said at a Washington press conference in January.

"President Biden shared our intentions and our priorities, and President Xi also gave us an insight into his."

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“These lines of communication, starting with the presidents but also including many of us, are vitally important,” Blinken said at the time.

Anthony Blinken

Source: cnnespanol

All news articles on 2023-02-03

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