The White House on Friday said the presence of a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon over U.S. airspace is a “clear violation” of U.S. sovereignty and international law, despite Beijing’s claims that the craft was not engaged in espionage.
The strong language from the White House belies what critics say is inaction in the face of a clear Chinese incursion into U.S. airspace.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that President Biden was first briefed on the balloon on Tuesday and has continued to receive “regular briefings and updates” from his national security team as the balloon remains in flight.
“We are tracking it closely and keeping all options on the table,” she said. “It does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground.”
The Pentagon revealed on Thursday evening that it is tracking the Chinese balloon in U.S. airspace, sparking a firestorm of concern on Capitol Hill and leading Secretary of State Antony Blinken to abruptly postpone a long-planed weekend trip to China.
The Pentagon said the balloon was spotted at one point over parts of Montana, which is home to one of America’s three nuclear missile fields at Malmstrom Air Force Base.
China‘s Foreign Ministry, in a relatively conciliatory message on Friday, confirmed the craft was from China but said the balloon was not engaged in espionage and was collecting meteorological data and had been blown off course by “westerly winds.”
“The Chinese side regrets the unintended entry of the airship into U.S. airspace due to force majeure,” the statement said, citing a legal term used to refer to events beyond one’s control.
U.S. officials said they had considered deploying F-22s to shoot down the balloon but decided against it.
Ms. Jean-Pierre said the president asked the Pentagon to present options for how to respond once the balloon was spotted, but decided against shooting it down based on the recommendation of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley who cited a risk to people on the ground.
That decision has been the subject of intense criticism, by some who say not doing so was a display of weakness by the administration.
“The Biden Administration’s weakness is provocative. Xi Jinping and the CCP are growing bolder because of it.,” said former Trump administration CIA Director and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. “Shoot down the CCP’s balloon safely and demand answers from Xi.”
Rep. Mike Gallagher, Wisconsin Republican and Chairman of the House China competition commission, said the balloon should have been shot down before it entered U.S. airspace.
“Now that it’s over the US we need to take it down safely to prevent further collection near some of our most sensitive military installations,” he said.
Mr. Gallagher added that Beijing’s incursion of U.S. airspace was the latest sign that Beijing’s aggression is “no longer confined to China’s borders.”
“This isn’t just an over-there problem,” Mr. Gallagher said. “This isn’t a matter of obscure territorial claims in the South China Sea or the East China Sea. This is a matter of defending our own interests and defending American sovereignty from totalitarian aggression.”
• Joseph Clark can be reached at jclark@washingtontimes.com.
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