Chinese balloon episode part of long history of US-China tensions
The oversize balloon was towed slowly and carefully from Montana to the South Carolina coast by a Sidewinder missile to destroy it.
It is not surprising that the recent Chinese balloon incident has raised alarm bells. The oversize balloon was towed slowly and carefully from Montana to the South Carolina coast by a Sidewinder missile to destroy it. At the same time, media reports said that three more suspicious aerial objects were seen over Alaska, Yukon and Lake Huron, which were destroyed. The governments of both Canada and the United States used the term science fiction to describe these objects as unidentified aerial objects.
However, China’s defense of the first Chinese aerial object as a meteorological balloon drew skepticism from US officials, who are concerned about the long history of tensions between the two countries. US arguments on Chinese incursions: The US has routinely and historically described China’s behavior as aggressive. In recent times, Americans have spoken of China’s dangerous stance toward Taiwan, expansionist moves in the South China Sea, and attempts to hegemony in key economic sectors such as cutting-edge semiconductors.
Last year, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken promised to keep the focus on the most serious long-term challenge to the international order and the challenge posed by China. US President Joe Biden has said that three aerial objects destroyed over North America after the initial Chinese spy balloon was destroyed do not appear to be part of China’s spy balloon campaign and were instead affiliated with private companies.
Actual awareness gap: In the midst of the balloon incident, General Glenn VanHerk, head of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, questioned why similar concerns had not been raised over earlier balloon sightings. He responded that recent incidents have highlighted awareness gaps, which means the command needs to strengthen its surveillance capability for objects such as balloons. There has always been mutual suspicion between the two countries on the front of espionage and surveillance.
For many years the Americans had economic, military and technological superiority. In 1960, Nikita Khrushchev walked out of the Paris Conference when an American U-2 spy plane was shot down in Soviet airspace by the (now disbanded) Soviet Union, which was compared to the Chinese balloon. Blinken’s trip to Beijing is being canceled after it is discovered. In the 20th century, China gradually developed its capabilities.
The tactics used in the competition and confrontation between the US and China go well beyond espionage. From the 1940s to the 1970s, the United States refused to recognize China and made numerous attempts to contain Chinese rule. The Chinese ballooning thus has to be seen in the context of decades of mutual espionage.
History of competing empires: The US and China share parallels with many great powers of the past, including Egyptian, Persian, Mongol, Gupta, Maya, Zulu, British, French, Russian, German, Japanese, and other empires. All of them had expansionist aspirations in some form or the other and were also worried about the powers of others. More information will be needed to understand the purpose and implications of recent incidents involving balloons and aerial objects.
Disclaimer:Prabhasakshi has not edited this news. This news has been published from PTI-language feed.