A huge, high-altitude Chinese balloon is sailing across the U.S. The spectacle is drawing severe Pentagon accusations of spying on Friday — while sending excited or alarmed Americans outside with binoculars. Secretary of State Antony Blinken abruptly canceled a high-stakes Beijing trip aimed at easing U.S.-China tensions, and the Biden administration weighed a broader response to the discovery of the Chinese balloon over sensitive sites in the western United States. Associated Press reporter Matthew Lee says China has apologized for the balloon making its way into U.S. territory, but despite that, the Biden administration responded by postponing Secretary Blinken's visit. "That, however, was not enough to change the administration's mind that this is still a blatant violation of U.S. airspace, of U.S. sovereignty, and of international law, and that it had to be met with some kind of a response. And so, the postponement of this trip is the response that we're seeing, and it's not clear at all when it might be rescheduled," Lee said. The development marked a new blow to already strained U.S.-Chinese relations that have been in a downward spiral for years over numerous issues. Still, U.S. officials maintained that diplomatic channels remain open and that Blinken was willing to travel to China at "an appropriate time."
The Pentagon says it's a Chinese spy balloon. China says it's just an errant civilian airship used mainly for meteorological research. But there are a lot of unanswered questions. Here's a closer look.
Several Montana and U.S. military officials told the Billings Gazette the balloon was traveling above 65,000 feet, which is too high for the jets to reach.
