- 拜登政府在发现一个在美国大陆上空徘徊的中国侦察气球后，无限期推迟了国务卿安东尼-布林肯的北京之行。
- 该飞行器在蒙大拿州上空闲逛，早些时候曾穿越阿拉斯加的阿留申群岛和加拿大。
- 五角大楼曾考虑将其击落，但由于对地面人员有风险而选择放弃。
- 中国外交部否认该飞行器是间谍工具，说它是一个为气象研究而设计的民用气球，已经吹偏了方向。- 五角大楼说，该气球在美国中部6万英尺上空向东飞行，但拒绝更具体地说明其位置。
- 美国和中国计划继续进行沟通，以妥善处理这一突发情况。拜登政府推迟了国务卿安东尼-布林肯的北京之行，因为他发现一个中国侦察气球在美国大陆上空徘徊。该飞行器在蒙大拿州上空被发现之前，曾穿过阿拉斯加的阿留申群岛和加拿大。五角大楼考虑将其击落，但由于对地面人员的风险，决定不这样做。中国外交部否认该飞行器是间谍飞行器，声称它是一个用于气象研究的民用气球，被吹偏了方向。五角大楼表示，该气球在美国中部6万英尺上空向东飞行，但拒绝提供更具体的细节。美中两国将继续进行沟通，以妥善处理这一突发状况。
- 在一个携带监视设备的中国气球漂移到美国上空后，五角大楼正在审查各种选择。
- 国务卿安东尼-布林肯原定于周五晚上前往北京，但国务院认为条件不适合进行访问。
- 气球的存在是对美国主权和国际法的侵犯，国务院表示遗憾，但对他们对局势的评估仍有信心。
- 美国国务卿安东尼-布林肯由于旅行限制而推迟了对中国的访问。
- 他在周五早些时候向他的中国同行通报了这一推迟。
- 美国仍然致力于与中国保持开放的关系，并继续通过外交努力来处理他们之间的复杂关系。
- 美国官员报告说，一个身份不明的气球在比商业航空交通更高的高度飞行，他们认为这是中国发射的。
- 五角大楼准备用F-22喷气式战斗机拦截并摧毁该气球，但由于碎片会对公众造成潜在威胁而决定不这样做。
- 加拿大部队报告了可能发生的第二起涉及中国侦察气球的事件。
- 美国在蒙大拿州的Malmstrom空军基地有150枚装备核弹的民兵III型洲际弹道导弹。
- 美国正在采取措施保护敏感地点，但气球的侦察系统被认为价值有限。
- 这是近年来中国最积极的情报收集演习之一。
- 周四晚上，美国正在追踪一个仍在该国上空漂移的监视气球。
- 对于国务卿安东尼-布林肯是否应该因为气球而取消对中国的访问，资深外交官们有不同的看法。
- 特朗普政府负责亚太地区事务的前助理国务卿大卫-史迪威认为，这是一个适当的举动，向中国人表明美国是认真的。
- 然而，奥巴马政府时期的另一位前亚太助理国务卿丹尼尔-拉塞尔认为，由于气球没有构成军事、民用航空或情报风险，这次旅行应该被挽救。
- 他认为，美国与中国有比监视气球更大的问题需要面对，取消这次旅行代表了在努力为两国关系设置底线方面的挫折。
- 对于拜登政府允许中国侦察气球飘入美国领空的决定，人们的反应不一，但许多共和党人批评了这一举措。
- 罗布-维特曼议员（R., Va. ）对拜登政府不愿保护美国主权和敏感地点的做法表示惊讶。
- 参议员比尔-哈格蒂（Bill Hagerty）认为，在中共证明他们已经准备好解决美国的国家安全和经济问题之前，政府不应匆忙与中共会面。
- The Biden administration has indefinitely postponed Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip to Beijing after identifying a Chinese reconnaissance balloon loitering above the continental U.S.
- The craft was loitering over Montana having earlier crossed Alaska’s Aleutian Islands and Canada.
- The Pentagon considered shooting it down but elected against it due to risk to people on the ground.
- The Chinese Foreign Ministry denied that the craft was a spy vehicle, saying it was a civilian balloon designed for meteorological study and had blown off course. • The Pentagon said the balloon was flying east at 60,000 feet over the central U.S., but declined to be more specific as to its location.
- The U.S. and China plan to continue to communicate to properly handle the unexpected situation. The Biden administration has postponed Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip to Beijing after a Chinese reconnaissance balloon was identified loitering over the continental U.S. The craft had crossed Alaska’s Aleutian Islands and Canada before being spotted over Montana. The Pentagon considered shooting it down, but decided against it due to risk to people on the ground. The Chinese Foreign Ministry denied that the craft was a spy vehicle, claiming it was a civilian balloon for meteorological study that had blown off course. The Pentagon stated that the balloon was flying east at 60,000 feet over the central U.S., but declined to give more specific details. The U.S. and China will continue to communicate to properly handle the unexpected situation.
- The Pentagon was reviewing options after a Chinese balloon drifted over the U.S. carrying surveillance equipment.
- Secretary of State Antony Blinken was scheduled to travel to Beijing on Friday night, but the State Department concluded the conditions were not right for the visit.
- The presence of the balloon was a violation of U.S. sovereignty and international law, and the State Department expressed regret but remained confident in their assessment of the situation.
- US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has postponed his trip to China due to travel restrictions.
- He informed his Chinese counterpart early Friday of the delay.
- The US remains committed to maintaining open lines with China and continuing diplomatic efforts to manage their complex relationship.
- U.S. officials reported an unidentified balloon flying at an altitude higher than commercial air traffic, which they believed to be launched by China.
- The Pentagon was prepared to intercept and destroy the balloon with F-22 jet fighters, but decided against it due to the potential threat the debris would cause to the public.
- Canadian forces reported a potential second incident involving a Chinese surveillance balloon.
- The U.S. has 150 nuclear-armed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles located at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana.
- The U.S. is taking steps to protect sensitive sites, but the balloon’s reconnaissance systems are thought to have limited value.
- This is one of the most aggressive Chinese intelligence gathering maneuvers in recent years.
- On Thursday evening, the U.S. was tracking a surveillance balloon that was still drifting over the country.
- Veteran diplomats had different opinions on whether the State Secretary Antony Blinken should have cancelled his trip to China due to the balloon.
- David Stilwell, a former assistant secretary of state for the Asia-Pacific region in the Trump administration, thought it was an appropriate move to show the Chinese that the U.S. is serious.
- Daniel Russel, another former assistant secretary of state for the Asia-Pacific region, during the Obama administration, however, thought the trip should have been salvaged since the balloon posed no military, civil aviation or intelligence risk.
- He argued that the U.S. has bigger problems to confront with the Chinese than a surveillance balloon, and the cancellation of the trip represents a setback in the effort to put a floor under the relationship.
- Reaction to the Biden administration’s decision to allow a Chinese surveillance balloon to float into U.S. airspace was mixed, but many Republicans criticized the move.
- Rep. Rob Wittman (R., Va.) expressed astonishment at the Biden administration’s unwillingness to protect U.S. sovereignty and sensitive sites.
- Sen. Bill Hagerty (R., Tenn.) argued that the administration should not rush into a meeting with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) until they prove they are ready to address U.S. national security and economic concerns.
链接：Blinken Trip to China Postponed After Suspected Spy Balloon Spotted Over U.S. - WSJ