Topline
China intends to take unspecified “countermeasures” in response to the U.S. government shooting down a suspected Chinese spy balloon over the Atlantic Ocean, an official suggested Wednesday, as the fallout continues over the balloon ahead of a potential meeting between U.S. and Chinese officials.
A large balloon drifts above the Atlantic Ocean, just off the coast of South Carolina, with a … [+]
Key Facts
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a briefing Wednesday that the Chinese government was “firmly opposed” to the balloon being shot down, as quoted by Bloomberg, and intends to “take countermeasures against relevant US entities that have undermined our sovereignty and security.”
It was not specified what those countermeasures could include or what U.S. entities would be targeted.
China, which claims the balloon was used for meteorological purposes, has previously called for the U.S. to return the remnants of the balloon and strongly opposed its destruction, calling it a “clear overreaction” and “unacceptable.”
It has also accused the U.S. of “illegally” flying balloons into its airspace, which the U.S. has denied, and the Associated Press reports Wang continued to assert those claims Wednesday as further justification for retaliation.
The U.S. has already taken some steps against China for the balloon, which it maintains was used for surveillance, issuing sanctions against six Chinese tech and aviation companies and passing a House resolution that formally condemned the Chinese government for deploying the balloon and called it “a brazen violation of United States sovereignty.”
The U.S. State Department has not yet responded to a request for comment on Wang’s comments Wednesday.
Contra
The Chinese threat of “countermeasures” Wednesday came as Vice President Kamala Harris insisted in a new Politico interview that the ongoing tensions over the balloon would not affect the broader relationship between the U.S. and China. “I don’t think so, no,” Harris said Tuesday when asked if the U.S. downing the balloon would affect U.S.-China diplomacy more broadly, describing the Biden Administration’s approach to China as, “We seek competition, but not conflict or confrontation.”
What To Watch For
After initially postponing a planned visit to China after the balloon was first detected on February 3, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken may meet with Chinese officials for the first time this week since the balloon controversy began. Reuters reported Monday that Blinken was considering meeting with Chinese diplomat Wang Yi this week at the Munich Security Conference, which will take place over the weekend. It’s unclear if the latest threats of potential retaliation could affect those plans, Bloomberg notes.
Key Background
The 200-foot surveillance balloon flew over the U.S. in early February, floating over the U.S. for three days from Billings, Montana, before it was ultimately shot down on February 4 near the South Carolina coast. An analysis of the balloon’s parts has found that it had surveillance technology and was capable of monitoring communications. China has continued to contest those findings, but still has not provided further information on what branch of its government was responsible for the balloon, the AP noted Wednesday. The incident comes after previous Chinese balloons flew over the U.S. during the Trump Administration but went undetected, defense officials have said, and officials in Japan and Taiwan have suggested Chinese balloons have also flown in their airspace. The U.S. so far has not linked China to the other three unidentified objects that were shot down in the U.S. and Canada in recent days.
Further Reading
China Warns of Retaliation Against US Entities in Balloon Saga (Bloomberg)
Everything We Know About The Chinese Balloon—And 3 Other Objects— Shot Down By The U.S. (Updated) (Forbes)
U.S. Tracked Spy Balloon From Time It Left China—Days Earlier Than Previously Known, Report Says (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2023/02/15/china-threatens-retaliation-against-us-for-downing-surveillance-balloon/