China Rushes to Cap Damage Over Suspected Spy Balloon

“Beijing on Saturday offered a subdued rebuttal to Washington’s decision to delay a high-level visit after a suspected Chinese spy balloon was discovered hovering over the United States, derailing China’s recent efforts to repair its most important bilateral relationship,” the Washington Post reports.

“The Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement Saturday that the presence of a Chinese airship in U.S. airspace was ‘completely an accident,’ and was caused by westerly winds knocking the balloon off course. It reiterated claims that the balloon was for scientific research such as collecting weather data, and accused ‘some U.S. politicians and media’ of taking advantage of the situation to discredit China, which ‘firmly opposes this.’”

New York Times: “The revelation of the balloon’s location has fueled bipartisan outrage in the United States, including calls to shoot it down, and has given the Biden administration little room to maneuver — even as China uncharacteristically expressed regret for the vessel’s appearance.”