The Pentagon announced on Thursday (2) that it is monitoring a Chinese spy balloon flying over the United States.
US Defense spokesman General Pat Ryder said the balloon was flying much higher than commercial air traffic and did not pose a threat to civilian aviation. He pointed out, however, that this was not the first time that such an object had flown over US airspace.
After detecting the alleged spy balloon, the US government “acted immediately” to protect against the collection of classified information – the type of action taken was not detailed by the Pentagon.
There are also no plans, according to Washington, to shoot down the balloon, as that could put civilians at risk. In the assessment of the military, the threat posed by the object to US security and intelligence would not justify such an action.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a defense official said he was not authorized to comment on the dimensions of the balloon, but said it was an object large enough to cause debris damage if it crashed.
Military leaders considered dropping the artifact over the state of Montana, but ended up backing out of the decision. The balloon’s route would be taking the artifact to areas considered sensitive, including Malmstrom Air Force Base, which houses 150 intercontinental ballistic missile silos.
Chinese authorities have been contacted, officials said. The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The moment is one of tension between the two powers. In a memo leaked last week, General Mike Minihan, head of the US Air Mobility Command, said that the United States and China will fight a war in 2025. The reason would be an attempt by Beijing to take Taiwan by force, which considers a rebellious province.
“I hope I’m wrong. But my gut says we’re going to fight in 2025,” writes the officer. “The presidential elections in Taiwan are in 2024, and they will give Xi [Jinping] one reason. The US election is in 2024 and will offer Xi a distracted America. Xi’s team, his motives and opportunities are all aligned for 2025.”
Also on Thursday, China reacted negatively to the announcement that the Philippines granted Washington greater access to its military bases, which resulted in the largest US armed presence in the country in about 30 years.
“The alliance helps defend an open and free Indo-Pacific,” said Lloyd Austin, US Secretary of Defense. “We discussed concrete actions to address destabilizing activities in Philippine waters and remain committed to strengthening our capabilities to withstand an attack.”
For Mao Ning, spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry, the movement “raises tensions and endangers regional stability”. “Countries in the region must remain vigilant and avoid being used by the US.”
Also on Thursday, CIA Director William Burns warned that Xi’s ambitions for Taiwan should not be underestimated. According to the head of American intelligence, the agency has information that the Chinese leader has ordered his military to be ready for an invasion of the island until 2027.
“That doesn’t mean he decided to invade in 2027, or any other year, but it’s a reminder of his focus and ambition,” the American said at an event at a university in Washington.
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