U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday postponed his reported trip to China in response to the flying of what Washington has labelled a “spy balloon” over the U.S., saying the flying of the balloon “created the conditions that undermine the purpose of the trip.” This is a fresh signal demonstrating that Washington is lacking sincerity in boosting its relations with China. The Chinese Foreign Ministry clarified Friday that the so-called spy balloon or surveillance balloon is a civilian airship used for research, mainly meteorological, purposes. “Affected by the Westerlies and with limited self-steering capability, the airship deviated far from its planned course. The Chinese side regrets the unintended entry of the airship into US airspace due to force majeure.” Even though the Pentagon said the so-called spy balloon “does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground,” or a significant intelligence gathering risk, many U.S. politicians and media outlets have played up the “China threat” with ulterior motive, launching another round of smearing campaign against China. “Normally, in response to an accidental incident resulting from force majeure, the two sides will move on after expressing regrets. Or they can set how to deal with such kind of incidents as a subject to negotiate. Blinken’s response in postponing the trip is not a proportionate response,” said Lyu Xiang, research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Several causes can explain why Washington is so intent on hyping a civilian airship into a critical political incident. First, the bilateral ties between China and the U.S. are still tense. The hawks intend to exploit the airship incident to further instigate anti-China sentiment, twist China’s global image into a power not abiding by international rules, a threat to other countries’ security, so that the U.S. can consolidate its allies to contain China. Furthermore, the heated discussion and exaggeration of the civilian airship suggests that as political polarization intensifies, any incident will be used as an opportunity for partisan contest. The so-called spy balloon has become an incident from which ambitious politicians from different political parties can make political advances and enhance their influence. The GOP has used it as another weapon to attack the Biden administration. In response, branches of the U.S. government, including the secretary of state, have to take a hawkish position. Additionally, the timing of the hype is also delicate - ahead of a reported trip although China has not confirmed his visit. Some observers said it does not rule out that Washington deliberately select the timing, in order to add more bargaining chips in negotiating with China. Such practice has become a routine of U.S. diplomacy. Given that a senior state department official said the U.S. “channels of communication will remain as important as ever. And those channels do remain open,” Blinken is anticipated to complete the visit to China at a rescheduled date, said Lyu. The latest development is that the U.S. military has shot down the suspected “spy balloon” after it drifted off the East Coast near the Carolinas, which is a blatant provocation. Now, it’s vital for the U.S. government to collect the debris of the balloon and it’s beneficial for China and the U.S. to jointly investigate the matter. If the U.S. government is willing to fix bilateral relations, it is capable of achieving the goal, by managing the sentiment toward China in the Congress and the U.S. society. The key is whether the Biden administration has the determination and will to improve Washington’s ties with Beijing. During the meeting between the heads of state of China and the U.S. in Bali in November, China proposed that the two countries should adhere to mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, and keep bilateral ties on track. Judging from the U.S. government’s response to the airship incident, including Blinken postponing a reported China trip, it is short of sincerity in this regard. A souring China-U.S. relationship is not only detrimental to the whole world, but will backfire on Washington itself. (Global Times) | 