Alleged espionage: criticism of Biden over the handling of the balloon affair continues
Alleged espionage
Criticism of Biden about handling the balloon affair does not stop
China insists the balloons — in addition to the US, some have been seen over Colombia, Venezuela and Costa Rica — are for scientific purposes only. photo
© Chad Fish/dpa
The alleged Chinese spy balloon continues to cause a stir in US politics even after it was launched. Republicans accuse President Biden of weakness in dealing with China.
After the suspected Chinese spy balloon was shot down off the US coast, the domestic political discussion about how to deal with China continues. Prominent Republicans threw US President Joe Biden shortly before his eagerly awaited State of the Union address on Tuesday evening (local time) showed weakness against the rising superpower.
Meanwhile, the US Navy and Coast Guard fished the wreckage of the balloons from the sea. An analysis should provide information about what information the balloon had actually collected.
The balloon was a threat to national security, said the parliamentary group leader republican in the House of Representatives, Steve Scalise. There were enough opportunities to launch the balloon over the Pacific. Instead, Biden allowed the balloon to fulfill its mission. You should never have allowed that. Republican Senator Ted Cruz said Biden should have had the balloon launched as soon as it entered US airspace. US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer responded that such criticism was premature and served only partisan purposes.
Biden’s State of the Union address is coming up
Biden is expected to address the balloon launched over the Atlantic and relations with China in his State of the Union address to both houses of Congress. He had previously defended his actions again. He ordered the balloon to be launched as soon as it was appropriate, he said on Monday. The Communications Director of the National Security Council USA, John Kirby, said the fact that the balloon had been in US airspace for so long gave the US the opportunity to learn a lot about the craft and its capabilities. Care was taken that the balloon could not collect any important information during its flight.
Kirby said similar incidents happened under former President Trump. Chinese balloons briefly hovered over the United States at least three times during his tenure. But that was only found out after Biden took office. Trump countered the allegations. Chinese balloons were not considered in any form during its time president been traveling across the United States, he wrote on his online network Truth Social on Tuesday. Other Republicans jumped to his side. MP Marco Rubio wrote on Twitter that the latest balloon incident is in no way comparable to previous incidents.
China complains of “clear overreaction”
Meanwhile, China stepped up its criticism of the US for launching the balloon. “He posed no threat to any person or to US national security,” said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning in Beijing. The US should deal with such incidents “in a calm and professional manner” without resorting to violence. The launch was a “clear overreaction”. When asked if China was demanding the balloon be returned, the spokeswoman only said, “The airship does not belong to the United States.”
The US is still recovering the debris from the balloon from the sea off the coast of the state of South Carolina. A return to China is probably not intended. Kirby said he was not aware of any intent or plans to return the balloon’s remains. So far, little has been made public about the inner workings or the technical equipment of the balloon. However, the Pentagon said Monday the device was 200 feet tall and weighed about the same as a small airliner. In addition, the balloon was conditionally manoeuvrable, Kirby explained. The vehicle had “a propeller and a rudder”.
