Page 232 - Patrick Ryder News Today

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 U.S. official said Friday.

China’s Foreign Ministry says that a balloon the U.S. suspects of conducting surveillance was a civilian “airship” used for research, mainly meteorological purposes. The statement said the airship has limited

The Chinese foreign ministry said it is "assessing the situation" and that "both sides are calm and cautious."

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is postponing a visit to China that had been expected to start on Friday after a Chinese spy balloon was tracked flying across the country.


Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley recommended not shooting it down due to danger from debris, a senior defense official said.

China officials claim that a balloon seen in American airspace over Montana, a state with a nuclear missile silo, was launched for weather studies and got blown off course. U.S. officials are still investigating if the balloon had espionage purposes.

The Pentagon has contemplated shooting down a Chinese spy balloon that has been observed drifting over the northern United States, Defense Department sources said late Thursday.

In Friday's News Hit: - Kwame Kilpatrick requested an end to his supervised release. A judge instead ripped the ex-mayor, saying he hadn't taken responsibility for his actions - Arctic cold will make Friday one of the coldest of the year - A new state proposal would offer a $25 tax credit to anyone who donates blood in Michigan.

The mysterious ballon was being monitored by the Pentagon.

The mysterious ballon was being monitored by the Pentagon.