“That’s the Moon, but what is that thing?” asks a Montana (United States) resident in a video. Like others, he observed an unusual white patch in the American sky on Wednesday. US authorities said Thursday it was a Chinese spy balloon flying over the country, which China denies. However, Beijing acknowledged late Friday that the device came from China.
This situation has greatly strained relations between the two countries.
· What is this globe?
The ship in question looks like a large white balloon. US intelligence refuses to give its size, but according to information from CNNit would be the size of three buses.
It is located about 18 km above the ground, Defense Department press secretary Patrick Ryder said. Friday night at a press conference. He repeated that the balloon had “violated US airspace and international law.” However, this balloon remains “well above commercial air traffic and does not pose a threat to civil aviation.”
The balloon flew over the Aleutian Islands in the north Pacific Ocean, then crossed Canadian airspace to the United States, where it flew over the state of Montana. It continued its run and is still currently above the United States, the US official explained, refusing however to say where exactly this machine was.
In a report published this Thursday, the US Department of Defense speaks of a “surveillance balloon”, without giving more details about the reasons that lead to that conclusion. So it is clearly, on the US side, a spy balloon sent by China to monitor the US.
China assured late Friday that it was “a civil aircraft used for research purposes, mainly meteorological,” from China. “Affected by West Winds, editor’s note) and with limited self-steering ability, the aircraft deviated from its planned route,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a statement.
Another balloon over Canada was also reported Friday, but very little information was given about it and China was not named. “Canadians are safe,” he said above all Ottawa.
· What danger to the United States?
Chinese authorities are “clearly trying to fly this balloon over sensitive sites to gather information,” the US Department of Defense said.
However, the machine does not represent, according to the US authorities, for the moment a danger for civilians, as for the military. According to his statements, this medium would not allow China to obtain more information than it would already have thanks to its satellites, for example. However, he remains closely watched at all times.
This device can “see our mobile phone exchanges, our radio exchanges, government command and control networks,” detailed on BFMTV Cédric Leighton, military analyst.
But “there is also what is called the nuclear triad, made up of bombers, missiles and submarines. Two parts of this triad are directly in the trajectory of this Chinese balloon, ”he adds.
· Why was the device not destroyed?
“We are looking at possible options,” Patrick Ryder said on Friday night, saying he could say no more on the matter. The Department of Defense report explains that there was talk in the early hours of destroying the balloon.
But “we assessed that the risk of taking it down, even if the probability was low in a sparsely populated area of debris falling and injuring someone or damaging property, was not worth it.”
“However, we take measures to protect ourselves against the collection of confidential information by foreign intelligence,” it is specified.
· What does China say?
At first, China did not acknowledge that the ball came from its soil, explaining that it wanted to “verify” the information first. “Regarding the ball, we are reviewing and verifying the situation, and we hope that the two sides can handle this situation together, calmly and carefully,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said Friday morning. .
“China is a responsible country and has always strictly adhered to international laws. We have no intention of violating the territory and airspace of any sovereign country,” he added.
In the evening, however, the Chinese government acknowledged that the balloon came from China, but denied that it was a spy balloon. China “regrets the involuntary entry of the aircraft into US airspace, a case of force majeure,” Beijing said.
The US State Department, for its part, summoned Xu Xueyuan, a senior Chinese government official in Washington, “to deliver a very clear and unequivocal message,” explains a source to CNN. This same message was also sent to the upper echelons of Beijing, writes the American media.
· Is this the first time?
In the account of the US authorities, it is noted that “this is not the first time that a balloon of this nature has flown over the continental United States. It has happened a handful of other times over the years, even before this administration.” . The US authorities, however, refuse to say more about these precedents.
But this time the ball “seems to stay a long time, longer than in previous cases. So that would be a distinguishing factor.”
General Jérôme Pellistrandi, defense consultant for BFMTV, confirms that it would not be the first time that a balloon has been used for military purposes: this means that “it has always been used, it is used more and more: it is sophisticated but relatively simple”. implement and it is extremely effective.
· What are the diplomatic consequences between the two countries?
This incident occurs when the head of US diplomacy, Antony Blinken, would travel to Beijing on Sunday and Monday. The trip has been cancelled. It will be rescheduled when “the conditions are met,” explained Patrick Ryder, who said he was “confident” in the United States’ ability to maintain dialogue with Beijing.
Antony Blinken’s visit to China would have been the first by a US secretary of state since October 2018, as the two superpowers seek to prevent escalating tensions between them from escalating into open conflict.
Among the many contentious issues are Taiwan, which China claims as an integral part of its territory, and Beijing’s activities in the South China Sea.
Source: BFM TV
