Pentagon monitoring Chinese language spy balloon over US

The Pentagon mentioned Thursday it was monitoring a Chinese language spy balloon flying excessive over the USA, reviving tensions between the 2 nations simply days forward of a uncommon go to to Beijing by the highest US diplomat.

At President Joe Biden’s request, Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin and prime navy officers thought-about taking pictures the balloon down however determined doing so would endanger too many individuals on the bottom, a senior protection official informed reporters Thursday.

“Clearly, the intent of this balloon is for surveillance,” the official, who spoke on situation of anonymity, mentioned.

The official added that the balloon had flown over the northwest United States, the place there are delicate airbases and strategic nuclear missiles in underground silos, however that the Pentagon didn’t imagine it constituted a very harmful intelligence risk.

“We assess that this balloon has restricted additive worth from an intelligence assortment perspective,” the official mentioned.

The invention of the plane comes simply days earlier than an anticipated go to to China by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, with managing heightened tensions between the 2 powers on the prime of the agenda.

Blinken’s go to to Beijing, which follows a gathering final November between Biden and Chinese language President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit, would be the first journey to the Asian nation by the USA’ prime diplomat since 2018.

Along with ongoing disputes over commerce and mental property, relations between the 2 nations have frayed notably over democratically-governed Taiwan, which China has pledged to reunite with the mainland, by power if mandatory.

The US has been promoting arms to Taiwan to defend itself, and Biden has mentioned Washington would assist defend Taiwan if China attacked.

The protection official mentioned that the balloon entered US airspace “a pair days in the past,” however that American intelligence had been monitoring it properly earlier than that.

Austin, who was within the Philippines, held discussions Wednesday with prime Pentagon officers after Biden requested about choices for coping with the balloon.

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Fighter jets had been flown to look at it whereas it was above Montana as discussions passed off.

– ‘Seriousness’ of problem –

However the Pentagon resolution was “to not take kinetic motion because of the danger to security and safety of individuals on the bottom from the potential particles area,” the official mentioned.

Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder confirmed the balloon was nonetheless being tracked over US airspace.

“The balloon is at present travelling at an altitude properly above industrial air visitors. It doesn’t current a navy or bodily risk to folks on the bottom,” Ryder mentioned in a press release.

China has despatched surveillance balloons over the USA prior to now.

Nonetheless, this one has lingered in US airspace for much longer, the senior protection official mentioned.

“We’re taking steps nonetheless to guard towards international intelligence assortment of delicate data,” the official mentioned.

Austin was within the Philippines this week to strengthen US protection cooperation, together with gaining wider entry for Pentagon forces at Philippine navy bases, in a transfer that highlights the US view of China as a risk to East Asia.

The protection official mentioned the “the seriousness of the difficulty” with the balloon had been raised with Beijing officers.

“We have now made clear we’ll do no matter is important to guard our folks in our personal land.”

Tensions over Taiwan reached a furor final yr when Nancy Pelosi, then-speaker of the US Home of Representatives, selected to go to the island.

After Republicans gained management of the chamber in January, questions have been raised over whether or not her successor will make an analogous journey.

“China’s brazen disregard for U.S. sovereignty is a destabilizing motion that should be addressed, and President Biden can’t be silent,” present Speaker Kevin McCarthy tweeted Thursday night.

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