Balloon Fight: Was There A US-China Agreement To Mutually Fly Spy Balloons?
China alleged on Monday that US high-altitude balloons had violated its airspace more than ten times since the beginning of 2022, prompting a strong denial from Washington DC.
“Since last year, the U.S.’ high-altitude balloons have undergone more than 10 illegal flights into Chinese airspace without the approval of the relevant Chinese departments,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a regular briefing in Beijing.
Wang did not specify if the balloons were military or for espionage reasons, and he did not provide any additional information.
The White House quickly refuted China’s accusation, which National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson described as an attempt by Beijing to minimize damage.
“Any claim that the U.S. government operates surveillance balloons over the PRC (People’s Republic of China) is false,” Watson said in a statement. “It is China that has a high altitude surveillance balloon program for intelligence collection, connected to the People’s Liberation Army, that it has used to violate the sovereignty of the United States and over 40 countries across five continents.”
Which balloon came first?
China’s accusation deepened a disagreement with the US that began on Feb. 4 when the US Navy shot down what it claimed was a Chinese spy balloon, prompting top US diplomat Antony Blinken to abandon a trip to Beijing intended to defuse tensions.
The balloon was tracked floating over the continental US for days before it appeared over Montana. President Joe Biden reportedly ordered the US military to shoot it down as soon as it was safe and it did not pose any danger to people or property on the ground. US fighter jets shot it down on Saturday afternoon when it was floating over the ocean.
Since then, the US military has shot down three other flying objects over North America, the most recent being an octagonal object over Lake Huron on Sunday, according to the Pentagon.
China’s Defense Ministry spokesperson, Tan Kefei, expressed “solemn protest” against the US’s actions in shooting down the balloons and stated that China reserves the right to deal with similar situations in the future. The Foreign Ministry also accused the US of “overreacting” and “seriously violating international practice.”
“The Chinese side has repeatedly informed the US side after verification that the airship is for civilian use and entered the US due to force majeure – it was completely an accident,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
China insists that the balloon was for civilian use and that it entered US airspace due to “force majeure,” which would excuse its owners from liability if an unforeseen incident, such as a natural catastrophe, prevents it from performing its obligations under a contract.
READ: China Reacts to Balloon Pop, Expresses “Solemn Protest”
The US Navy also recently reported that it has recovered the suspected Chinese spy balloon, or at least most of it, in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Gen. Glen VanHerck, commander of US Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), told reporters on Monday that the balloon was around 200 feet tall and was carrying a payload that weighed more than a ton. The debris field in the Atlantic Ocean was about 1,500 square meters.
“Glass off of solar panels, potentially hazardous material, such as material that is required for batteries to operate in such an environment as this and even the potential for explosives to detonate and destroy the balloon that could have been present,” VanHerck said describing the debris.
READ: US Navy Recovers Downed Chinese Spy Balloon
US spy balloons
“It is nothing rare for US balloons to illegally enter other country’s airspace,” Wang told reporters at the same briefing. “The US needs to reflect upon itself and change its wrong practice.”
China basically claims that US balloons have flown illegally above China more than ten times since the beginning of 2022. However, given the tense relationship between the two countries–with China almost always short of threatening retaliation for any perceived incursion of sovereignty, even over Taiwan–it is remarkably noteworthy how China was silent during these alleged ten times.
The accusation, made by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, still stands without evidence. But if it is true, China’s silence during the ten times US balloons flew over China in 2022 could be conjectured as a sign of mutual understanding that has been halted since China’s own balloon was spotted by the public over the US. This could have prompted Biden to order shooting down the balloon, possibly due to pressure from the public.
Another possibility is US dirigibles flying over Taiwan–which China considers under its sovereign territory–could be the balloons Wang is referring to. Gregory Poling, an Indo-Pacific maritime security expert at Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, said he was unaware of any US surveillance balloon deployment, but added, “I suspect none of us would know for sure.”
He stated, however, that China believes the airspace over Taiwan, disputed territory with Japan, and much, if not all, of the South China Sea to be its territorial air space.
The self-governed island–which enjoys a friendlier relationship with the US–has experience with similar balloons (labeled as “meteorological observations”) flying over its territory, once in September 2021 and another in February last year, but it’s unclear if the balloons were the same as the one shot down by the US.
Taiwan called on China’s autocratic government to “immediately cease conduct of this kind that encroaches on other countries and causes regional instability.”
For the White House, China’s accusations are simply false.
“This is the latest example of China scrambling to do damage control. It has repeatedly and wrongly claimed the surveillance balloon it sent over the US was a weather balloon and has failed to offer any credible explanations for its intrusion into our airspace, airspace of others,” Watson said.
Additionally, CNN reports that this was not the first Chinese balloon incident in the US. Citing a senior administration official, there were allegedly three suspected Chinese spy balloons that were spotted over the continental US during former President Donald Trump’s administration, and this was only uncovered after Biden assumed the presidency.
Trump administration Defense Secretary Mark Esper denied the possibility.
“I don’t ever recall somebody coming into my office or reading anything that the Chinese had a surveillance balloon above the United States,” Esper said, while former president Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social that reports of Chinese balloons flying over the US during his time are — confusingly — “fake disinformation.”
Balloon spotted over China
But if one is ready to dismiss China’s accusations of foreign dirigibles flying over its airspace, authorities in China’s Shandong province announced Sunday that they saw a “unidentified flying object” above waterways near the port city of Rizhao and were “preparing to shoot it down,” according to state-run news outlet The Paper.
In a text message to fishing vessels, marine authorities in the neighboring port city of Qingdao advised personnel to stay alert in order to avoid danger and, if feasible, assist with debris collection efforts.
“If debris falls near your boat, please help take photos to collect evidence. If conditions allow, please help salvage it,” the marine development department of Qingdao’s Jimo district said.
Despite the lack of specifics, the unidentified object has attracted considerable interest on China’s strictly regulated social media, garnering hundreds of millions of views. Many users watched state media coverage of the United States’ reaction to the Chinese balloon.
The following evening, Chinese social media was buzzing with anticipation as many users awaited the removal of the object floating off China’s coast.
“Thanks to the demonstration made by the US, we must report it in a high-profile manner when we shoot down (the object),” said a top comment on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like platform.
Information for this story was found via Bloomberg, CNN, Reuters, and the sources and companies mentioned. The author has no securities or affiliations related to this organization. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.
