President Joe Biden has said the US is not looking for conflict with China despite tensions over the suspected spy balloon from China that was shot down by fighter jets off the Carolina Coast on Sunday.
China insists the balloon was merely conducting weather research but the Pentagon described it as a high-tech spying operation. The US Navy is recovering balloon debris from the Atlantic Ocean to analyse the “intelligence-collection pod.”
The balloon floated at an altitude far higher than most airplanes and crossed directly over at least one sensitive US military site.
Joe Biden was asked about the spy balloon episode in an interview with the PBS network.
He said, “We’re going to compete fully with China, but we’re not looking for conflict and that’s been the case so far.”
Biden’s comments apparently sought to defuse tensions after China warned of a “necessary response” for “overreacting” to a “civilian airship” that accidentally strayed into the US.
Asked if the incident had caused major damage to the relationship with Beijing, Biden said “no.” The spy balloon was detected days ahead of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Beijing. Blinken postponed the trip after the Pentagon said it was sure the white orb floating over Montana was a spy balloon from China.
