The mysterious Chinese balloon floating over the United States has been making headlines and stirring up controversy. What exactly is it and why is it here? In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at the mysterious balloon and the conflicting accounts of why it’s here.
On Saturday, the U.S. military shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the coast of the Carolinas. The Federal Aviation Administration had “paused departures from and arrivals to” three East Coast airports in response. President Biden promised to “take care of” the Chinese balloon that has been flying over the United States in recent days.
The Chinese government said the balloon is strictly used for meteorological research and accidentally went adrift into U.S. airspace. However, the Pentagon says the balloon is being used for surveillance. Its presence already led Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday to postpone a historic trip to Beijing, as tensions continue to rise between the two countries over national security.
On Saturday, the president commented on the balloon, saying, “We’re going to take care of it.” The balloon quickly became an internet celebrity as meteorologists, storm chasers and others shared sightings on social media as it continued on its path across the U.S. Others criticized the Biden administration for not taking quicker actions to stop it.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted on Friday, “The China balloon flying over the U.S. is a direct assault on our national sovereignty. Biden’s refusal to stop it is a dereliction of duty. From flying balloons to open borders, Biden has no regard for our national security and sovereignty.”
The mystery of the Chinese balloon continues, with no clear answer in sight. The U.S. military is continuing to investigate the balloon and its purpose, while the public continues to speculate. It’s clear that the balloon has created a stir and it will be interesting to see how this story develops.
Source: www.npr.org