The Cold War between the US and China suddenly heated up, and Xi Jinping really took the initiative
An F-22 ‘Raptor’ fighter jet flies alongside a Chinese ‘reconnaissance balloon’ at Surfside Beach, South Carolina, USA, February 4, 2023 (Photo: Reuters/Aflo)
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(international journalist Masato Kimura)
LONDON – A US F-22 stealth fighter shot down a giant Chinese reconnaissance balloon off the east coast on Saturday.
The giant reconnaissance balloon was spotted over Alaska on January 28 and also flew over Montana, home to an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) base. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said, “The balloons were used by China to monitor strategic locations on the US mainland.
Is it intended to monitor strategic locations on the US mainland?
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “The Pentagon says that balloons do not pose a military or physical threat to people on the ground. “We responded. This is a serious violation of international practice,” he said. The Global Times quoted a Chinese military expert as saying, “The US move is like shooting mosquitoes with a cannon, which is not only exaggerated but unrealistic.”
Shen Yi, director of the Global Cyberspace Governance Institute at Fudan University, told the Global Times: “The rover balloon made the world’s military superpower, the United States, react as if it were facing a powerful enemy. Screaming as if the last days were approaching, the balloon fell prey to the ‘first shot of the F-22’.”
“For some reason, the great powers were frightened by the floating balloon and the United States was exposed as a paper tiger. Crisis management and strategic stability require effective communication between the United States and China. each other at the expense of US-China relations for political fighting.
People watch after a Chinese spy balloon was shot down from Holden Beach, North Carolina, on February 4 (Photo: Reuters/Aflo)
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