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Editor's note: CGTN's First Voice provides instant commentary on breaking stories. The column clarifies emerging issues and better defines the news agenda, offering a Chinese perspective on the latest global events.
On June 29 local time, Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Pat Ryder confirmed that the so-called Chinese spy balloon shot down by a U.S. fighter jet over the Atlantic Ocean in February this year did not collect U.S. intelligence when it transited or flew over the U.S. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning responded at a regular press conference on June 30 that China has repeatedly stated that the Chinese civilian unmanned airship floating over the United States was an accident caused by force majeure. The so-called spy balloon and the gathering of intelligence are completely slanderous. So far, a "balloon storm" hyped by the United States has come to an end in a ridiculous way.
In fact, at the very beginning of the "balloon incident," China made it clear that the so-called spy balloon was a civilian airship used for research, mainly for meteorological purpose. Affected by the Westerlies and with limited self-steering capability, the airship deviated far from its planned course and eventually drifted into the United States.
China hoped that the U.S. government and media could handle the incident peacefully and properly in a calm, rational, professional, and restrained manner. However, what we have seen in the past few months is still the U.S. side ignoring the facts, fabricating the narrative of some "spy balloons" and exaggerating the crisis that this has brought about.
The Hill, the largest independent political news website in the United States, has even published an article claiming that "China has the ability to bomb our homeland." The U.S. has also expended significant resources investigating the equipment on the airship, involving multiple defense and intelligence agencies. Now that the investigation results are out, the Biden administration is scrambling to rebrand the "spy balloon" as "silly balloon" and proposing that the U.S. and China should "move on from the balloon incident." However, is the "stupid balloon" really to blame?
A screenshot of Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Pat Ryder answering questions at a press conference.
This "balloon" incident, which has caused an uproar in the world, actually reflects the plot of the U.S. hawks against China to fight a "new Cold War" and the political chaos in which the Republican Party and the Democratic Party use every opportunity to attack each other. While the "balloon" incident is still under investigation, many "anti-China" lawmakers, including Republican Senator Marco Rubio and Mike Gallagher, reacted immediately and attacked China for spying on the United States, violating the sovereignty of the United States, making the "China threat" theory concrete, and inciting public panic.
At the same time, they harshly criticized the Biden administration for being "soft on China" and used this incident to put pressure on the Biden administration.
The Biden administration is also unambiguous. Under the dual role of domestic political pressure and partisan interests, it immediately reacted in an excessive way to show it could take a tough stance toward China, and prepared to use the results of the investigation on the "spy balloon" to further "punish" China, trying to gain capital in the political battle by playing the "China card" and competing for votes for a new round of elections.
The farce has finally come to an end. However, the damage caused to China-U.S.relations can be clearly seen. The first half of this year was supposed to be an important window of time for implementing the consensus reached by the heads of the two countries at the Bali Summit last year and stabilizing bilateral relations. However, due to the way the U.S. handled the incident, China-U.S.relations have once again been shaken, and mutual strategic trust has been seriously damaged.
If the "root cause" of the United States' misunderstanding of China is not eliminated, farces such as "spy balloons" may not disappear. As the American netizen Horridcaesar said, "Although the United States admits that 'we overreacted', they may still repeat the same mistakes..." With the gradual intensification of the U.S. presidential election competition in 2024, the vicious party struggle to kidnap public opinion with the "China threat theory" and earn political capital may continue to find new targets, bringing more uncertainties to China-U.S.relations.
This week, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen is about to start a visit to China. This is another heavyweight U.S. official to visit Beijing after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The international community is paying great attention to this visit, because a sound and stable China-U.S. relationship not only serves the common interests of the two countries, but also meets the aspirations of the international community.
During his talks with Blinken not long ago, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang said that he hoped the U.S. side would maintain an objective and rational understanding of China, maintain the political foundation of China-U.S. relations and handle unexpected incidents calmly, professionally and rationally. Indeed, the way forward for China-U.S. relations requires both sides to meet each other halfway, manage differences, and strengthen dialogue and cooperation with sincerity, rather than suspicion and doubt, let alone the "balloon" incident.
