A week after the downing of a Chinese ‘spy’ balloon over the Atlantic, US authorities destroyed an unidentified object on Friday (February 10) that was flying several thousand feet above the frozen waters of Alaska . The “object”, which was “the size of a small car” and flew at an altitude of about 12,000 meters, posed “a threat to the safety of air traffic”, said John Kirby, spokesman for the Council. White House national security. The US administration became aware “last night” of the presence of this object whose debris fell on frozen waters in northern Alaska, near the Canadian border, John Kirby said. He said the United States would work to recover the debris.
Smaller than the Chinese balloon shot down last Saturday
“We don’t know who owns it, whether it’s a state or a company or an individual, we don’t know. […] And we do not currently understand its use”, he assured. The spokesperson also specified that this object was “much smaller” than the Chinese balloon that the United States destroyed last Saturday , which was also flying at a higher altitude.
The American authorities clarified that unlike the Chinese balloon, this object did not appear to have a propulsion system or controls allowing it to move. Washington had shot down on Saturday, off its Atlantic coast, a balloon which had flown over sensitive military sites and had been described by Beijing as a “civilian aircraft used for research purposes, mainly meteorological”. Footage captured by US military planes shows that the Chinese balloon that flew over the United States last week was well equipped with spy tools, not intended for weather. This diplomatic clash had led the head of American diplomacy Antony Blinken to postpone a rare visit to China.
Washington adds six Chinese companies to its blacklist
In retaliation for the Chinese balloon spotted last week, the Biden administration added six Chinese companies to its blacklist, barring them from accessing U.S. technology and goods without permission. “China’s use of high-altitude balloons violates our sovereignty and threatens the national security of the United States,” Commerce Undersecretary for Industry and Security Alan Estevez said in the statement. Commerce Department. US officials said the six entities (five of which are companies and one research institute) had supported Chinese military programs related to airships and balloons used for intelligence and reconnaissance.
The US blacklist on which these six Chinese companies have been placed “is a powerful tool to identify and block actors who seek to use their access to global markets to harm and threaten US national security”, said the Assistant Secretary of Commerce. , Don Graves. “We will not hesitate to use (this) list and our other regulatory and enforcement tools to protect the national security of the United States,” he said. The restrictions mark the Biden administration’s first economic retaliation against the balloon, which the United States shot down off South Carolina last Saturday after floating across much of the country.