The use by China of a rumored surveillance Chinese balloon that sailed over North America last week was roundly condemned by US politicians.
After multiple political disputes over balloons, the vote allowed MPs to reach a consensus on a bipartisan approach on Beijing.
Before the US military shot the balloon down off the east coast on Saturday, it attracted attention throughout its days-long flight across the United States from Alaska to South Carolina.
The House of Representatives approved a resolution “condemning the Chinese Communist Party’s use of a high-altitude surveillance balloon over United States territory as a flagrant violation of United States sovereignty.”
Republicans harshly criticised President Joe Biden’s administration for being ineffective in the face of Chinese aggression after the incursion.
Military authorities reportedly warned that shooting down the balloon and its sophisticated payload earlier, when it was above land, could have posed a risk to the American populace on the ground. The remains of the balloon ended up in the Atlantic Ocean.
Moreover, Congressman Michael McCaul stated that the balloon incident had a positive outcome for him, who sponsored the resolution. He said that the good news was that it galvanized the American people’s resistance to Chairman Xi’s (Jinping’s) communist regime.
Additionally, A Pentagon representative stated in a Thursday Senate hearing that the country is still trying to determine the specific target of the espionage-purposed balloon.
Assistant defence secretary Jedidiah Royal stated, “We have some very solid ideas about it.
As we utilise the contents of the balloon, “we are learning more,” he continued.
However, Beijing claimed that they utilized the balloon as a “civilian airship for research, primarily meteorological objectives.”