More than forty countries on five continents unwittingly “host” Chinese spy balloons in their skies. And Italy would be one of them. This is stated by a senior US State Department official. Numerous details, according to the Biden administration, link the People’s Liberation Army of China to the balloon that flew over the United States and was shot down by American fighters last Saturday, in what appears to be a vast program of intelligence collection and sensitive data from intelligence. .
This is demonstrated by the images of the balloon collected by American U-2 spy planes. The balloon was equipped with several antennas and other equipment powered by solar panels and designed to record confidential information. And if the FBI entered the field on the investigative front, tension increases in relations between the two powers.
China, in fact, confirmed that it did not accept the US request for a telephone conversation between Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe to discuss the balloon. The United States “insists on using force,” commented Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Tan Kefei, “which violates international practice and sets a bad precedent.”
Given that this approach, defined as “irresponsible and seriously wrong” by Beijing, “did not create a suitable environment for dialogue and exchanges, China did not accept the US proposal regarding the phone call between the two defense ministers”. he added, reiterating that China “reserves the right to use the necessary means to deal with similar situations”.
Across the ocean, the response was unequivocal. A resolution condemning “a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the United States” was unanimously passed by the House of Representatives. “An event like this must never happen again and cannot go unanswered,” said Michael McCaul, the Republican chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations who introduced the resolution that won rare bipartisan support with 419 votes to zero. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also spoke on the subject at the end of his meeting in Washington with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. “Chinese intelligence operations in Europe have increased with the use of satellites, hacking activities and balloons like the one that flew over the United States,” explained Stoltenberg – we must be aware of the constant risk of Chinese intelligence and react to protect ourselves.
Source: IL Tempo
John Cameron is a journalist at The Nation View specializing in world news and current events, particularly in international politics and diplomacy. With expertise in international relations, he covers a range of topics including conflicts, politics and economic trends.
