President Biden downplayed the recent incident involving a Communist Chinese spy balloon that drifted across the United States, stating that it was “more embarrassing than it was intentional” by the Chinese regime.
During a press conference, Biden expressed his desire to engage in discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping on finding ways for the United States and China to “get along.”
Biden says the Chinese spy balloon he let surveil the entire United States before shooting it down over the ocean "was more embarrassing than it was intentional" for China. pic.twitter.com/PeyyYfqwJ1
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 17, 2023
When asked about Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s role in easing tensions with China during his trip to the country, Biden brought up the spy balloon incident.
The balloon, which flew over the U.S. in February before being shot down off the coast of South Carolina, caused significant international concern.
Biden noted that China faced legitimate difficulties unrelated to the United States and suggested that the Chinese leadership may not have been aware of the balloon’s location, its contents, or its purpose.
NBC: After Biden let a Chinese spy balloon surveil the entire country, he wanted to call Xi Jinping because he "thought his relationship with President Xi could be helpful."
Biden's staffers wouldn't let him. pic.twitter.com/r9smojEymm
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 16, 2023
He characterized the incident as more embarrassing than intentionally provocative.
The administration faced criticism from several Republicans who argued that the balloon should have been shot down earlier, leading to Secretary Blinken postponing his planned trip to China.
Safety concerns regarding shooting down the heavy object over populated areas were cited as the reason for the delay.
Of course Team Biden lied about Chinese aggression against the U.S. & of course they tried to blame it on the Trump admin.
It's the exact same playbook as what happened with the Chinese spy balloon that they allowed to repeatedly fly over U.S. territory.
First they try to… https://t.co/EsWKBFvgg6
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) June 12, 2023
In April, an NBC News report claimed that the spy balloon had gathered intelligence from sensitive American military sites. However, the Pentagon later stated that it could not confirm real-time data transmission.
The Chinese communists maintained that the balloon’s movements were accidental.
A group of more than a dozen Republican senators recently sent a letter to President Biden, expressing their frustration over the administration’s lack of public disclosure regarding the incident.
They demanded a thorough account of how the spy balloon was allowed to cross U.S. territory, what it carried, and what information it collected.
Despite these tensions, President Biden expressed hope for future discussions with President Xi, emphasizing the existence of both differences and potential areas of cooperation between the two countries.
Last week, the administration confirmed that China had been increasing its spying efforts in Cuba, describing it as an ongoing issue predating Biden’s presidency.
