As a result of a Chinese spy balloon flying across the US, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has postponed his trip to China.
According to a senior State Department official, the moment was not appropriate for the first high-level US-China meeting there in years.
The official acknowledged the Chinese apology but characterized the balloon as a blatant disregard for international law and sovereignty.
The visit was to come amid fraying tensions between the US and China
America’s top US diplomat was set to visit Beijing to hold talks on a wide range of issues, including security, Taiwan, and Covid-19.
But there was consternation on Thursday when US defense officials announced they were tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon over the United States.
While the balloon was, the Pentagon said, “traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic” and did “not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground”, its presence sparked outrage.
Former US President Donald Trump was among those calling for the US military to shoot it down.
On Friday, China finally acknowledged the balloon was its property, saying that it was a civilian airship used for meteorological research, which deviated from its route because of bad weather.
A statement from China’s Foreign Ministry said that it regretted the incident and would work with the US to resolve the issue.
The state department official clarified that although the US confirmed China’s assertion about the purpose of the balloon, it maintained the conclusion that it was being used for spying.
The official added that Mr. Blinken will make another trip to China “at the earliest opportunity” and that Washington intended to keep “open channels of communication” concerning the issue.
Mr. Blinken was scheduled to travel to China on February 5 and 6.
According to a US official cited by the Associated Press, Mr. Blinken and President Joe Biden decided to quickly end the trip.
After making comments about the US economy on Friday morning, Mr. Biden declined to answer any questions regarding the balloon.
According to US officials, the balloon flew over Alaska and Canada before appearing in the US state of Montana, which is home to a number of sensitive military missile sites.
Although fighter planes were alerted, the US decided not to shoot the object down due to the dangers of falling debris, officials said.
