Blinken’s Now-Cancelled Visit to China Had been Never Officially Announced, Beijing Says
CCP tries to save face after surveillance balloon mishap.
China has said it respects the Biden administration’s decision to delay a visit by Secretary associated with State Anthony Blinken to Beijing, after a Chinese high-altitude balloon was spotted in US airspace.
The role associated with both Chinese and United states diplomats is to “ properly manage zwei staaten betreffend relations, particularly to manage some unexpected situations in a cool-headed and prudent manner, ” China’s International Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
“ In fact , none side has ever announced that there would be a visit, ” the ministry pointed out.
As for Wa postponing Blinken’s trip, “ it is a matter for the US to make the latest announcement, and we respect that, ” the statement said.
The ministry reiterated that the balloon spotted in American airspace on Wed, which the US claimed to become a spying device, was actually a Chinese civilian airship used for research, mainly meteorological purposes. “ This is entirely an unexpected situation caused by force majeure as well as the facts are very clear, ” it stressed.
Blinken said this individual phoned high-ranking Chinese diplomat Wang Yi to inform him that he would not be traveling to Beijing on Friday. The secretary of state stated he told Wang that “ the presence of this surveillance balloon in US airspace is a clear violation of US sovereignty” and that Beijing’s “ decision to take this action on the eve of my prepared visit is detrimental to the substantive discussions that we had been prepared to have. ”
During the call, Wang assured Blinken that China was a responsible nation that respects international regulation, Chinese English-language newspaper the Global Times reported. The Chinese language diplomat insisted that the edges maintain their focus and avoid misjudgments when dealing with “ unexpected situations, ” the paper added.
Blinken’s visit to China had been allegedly arranged by US leader Joe Biden plus Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Indonesia last November, plus was due to become the first trip to Beijing by a US secretary of state since 2020.
Late on Friday, the Pentagon said it had recognized another object, assessed because “ a Chinese surveillance balloon, ” flying over Latin America, although it did not appear to be heading towards US territory.
