China expert sounds alarm on spy balloon hovering over US: 'It’s very dangerous what they’re doing'
Biden administration is practicing 'restraint' and does not want to 'roil relations' with China, said Gordan Chang
Biden not defending the US is 'an abrogation' of his constitutional duty: Gordon Chang
Gatestone Institute Senior Fellow Gordon Chang discusses Secretary of State Anthony Blinken's trip to China, the Chinese spy balloon over the U.S. Midwest, and the threat of invasion of Taiwan.
One expert is sounding the alarm over a massive China spy balloon hovering over Montana.
"There could be anything that, that balloon carries," Gatestone Institute Senior Fellow Gordon Chang said on FOX Business' "Mornings with Maria" Friday. "We know where it came from. Its track has been public, and I think probably the Biden administration believes that they do not want to roil relations with China and that they are being responsible for restraint. Unfortunately … the Chinese don't view it that way. They put a different spin on it," Chang explained.
Chang's comments came prior to the People's Republic of China confirming Friday that the balloon craft floating over the northern United States is Chinese.
It claims that the balloon is a civilian research aircraft that was blown off course by strong winds.
A Chinese spy balloon hovers over Montana. (Fox News)
Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said during a briefing on Thursday afternoon that the U.S. government has detected a high-altitude surveillance balloon over the continental U.S.
"The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now," Ryder said Thursday. "The U.S. government to include Norad, continues to track and monitor it closely. The balloon is currently traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground.
Map shows approximate path of a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon over Montana, Friday, Feb. 3, 2023. (Fox News) (Fox News / Fox News)
He continued, "Instances of this kind of balloon activity have been observed previously over the past several years. Once the balloon was detected, the U.S. government acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information."
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The statement continued, "The Chinese side regrets the unintended entry of the airship into US airspace due to force majeure. The Chinese side will continue communicating with the US side and properly handle this unexpected situation caused by force majeure."
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Chang stressed that under Xi Jinping, China lives "in its own world of its own constructed reality" and pointed out that "one incident after another," including the intercept of the unarmed U.S. Air Force reconnaissance plane in international airspace in December is "not leading in a good direction."
"It’s very dangerous what they’re doing," he said.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed his trip to China following the controversy.
"By sending him [Blinken] there, the Chinese think that we are sending an envoy to the great celestial court and that we're a vassal. So this was never going to work out. But clearly, in view of the spy incident, this is just unjust," Chang said. "In China's mind, that shows that we will not defend ourselves. I'm not saying that the Chinese are right, but that's the Chinese mentality. That's an extremely dangerous situation when they believe that."
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Fox News’ Timothy H.J. Nerozzi contributed to this report.