Blinken postpones China trip following balloon discovery

he abrupt decision comes despite China’s claim that the balloon was a weather research satellite that had blown off course.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (Stefani Reynolds/Pool Photo via AP)

Fri, 03 Feb, 2023 - 15:37

Emily Wang Fujiyama, TARA COPP and LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has postponed a planned high-stakes weekend diplomatic trip to China as the Biden administration weighs a broader response to the discovery of a high-altitude Chinese balloon flying over sensitive sites in the western United States, a US official said.

The abrupt decision comes despite China’s claim that the balloon was a weather research satellite that had blown off course.