A superpower that fears weather balloons

By Christopher Helali

Over the past few weeks, Americans have been subjected to sensational reporting, hysterical Cold War propaganda, and dangerous rhetoric after a Chinese civilian unmanned airship crossed into U.S. airspace. The balloon, which the Chinese government confirmed was for meteorological purpose, drifted off course, and the United States military was deployed to down it using a sidewinder missile that cost over $400,000.

The incident has been used to escalate tensions and further the ongoing rhetoric of the "China threat" for U.S. domestic consumption. Both the United States House of Representatives and Senate passed resolutions that condemned the Communist Party of China (CPC) for the "invasion" of U.S. airspace and violation of sovereignty.

These resolutions passed with unanimous bipartisan support. While they are symbolic, they add to ongoing tensions with Beijing. This political manipulation and fearmongering over a weather balloon is being done to help bolster U.S. foreign policy objectives which are expansionist, hegemonic and imperialist.

Responding to the belligerence and hostile rhetoric from Washington, the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee condemned the resolutions, reiterating that they have been used to exaggerate and manipulate the "threat of China."

Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, made China's position clear when he met U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on February 18, urging the "U.S. side to change course, acknowledge and repair the damage that its excessive use of force caused to China-U.S. relations."

Chinese officials remarked that the weather balloon had strayed into U.S. airspace by accident. Weather balloons are by their very nature difficult to control since they lack propulsion and advanced steering capabilities. They are at the mercy of the wind and weather. The balloon posed no risk to human life.

They also noted that, "since last year, U.S. high-altitude balloons have flown over Chinese airspace over 10 times without authorization from China. The U.S. needs to reflect on its own behavior and change course rather than attacking others and stoking confrontation."

Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, delivers a keynote speech during the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, February 18, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

China reiterated its commitment to respecting international law, territorial integrity, and the sovereignty and airspace of all nations. It sought to provide information and help the United States identify the balloon but the United States rejected the information, deciding instead to eliminate the "threat" posed by the balloon.

That the United States, a superpower which sees itself as the world hegemon, exceptional in all ways and above international law, fears a harmless civilian weather balloon underscores the increasing paranoia in Washington over the rise of China and Russia, and the emergence of a multipolar world.

In 2021, the U.S. spent over $800 billion on its military. This is nearly four times the military budget of China, equal to the military budgets of China and the next eight countries with large military expenditures combined.

U.S. government officials have used the incident to justify downing three more flying objects, which were either private balloons or part of scientific research projects. These have also fueled wild speculations and conspiracy theories about the role of the U.S. government.

The blatant U.S. hypocrisy and double standard are noteworthy. On the other hand, the U.S. government allowed numerous American politicians to visit China's Taiwan region in an official capacity, violating China's sovereignty, territorial integrity and the one-China principle, which successive U.S. administrations have committed themselves to.

In 1960, an American U2 spy plane was shot down over the then Soviet Union, creating an uproar and a diplomatic incident. Today the U.S. is engaging not only aircraft but the highest quality satellites and smart devices available for espionage.

The weather balloon incident is part of an ongoing effort to discredit and isolate China on the world stage. However, the country that is getting discredited and increasingly isolated is the United States itself. The U.S. continues to threaten, sanction and escalate military provocations with numerous countries. It has been a belligerent power for over two decades, bringing turmoil to numerous countries like Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan and Syria. While it is doing so, these countries are working together with others to build a new international order.

No number of balloons shot down by the United States can stop the development of a multipolar world.

Christopher Helali is the international secretary of the Party of Communists USA and a China Government Scholar for Sino-U.S. Cultural Communication at Tongji University, China.