China may respond to the U.S. shooting down its suspected spy balloon after warning of 'serious repercussions,' but analysts say any move will likely be finely calibrated to keep from worsening ties that both sides have been seeking to repair.
HONG KONG — China may respond to the U.S.after warning of "serious repercussions," but analysts say any move will likely be finely calibrated to keep from worsening ties that both sides have been seeking to repair.
The discovery of the balloon in the upper atmosphere above North America prompted the United States to postpone a visit to Beijing this week by Secretary of State Antony Blinken. That trip had resulted from a November summit between Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping. "The two sides still have a shared strong interest in stabilizing and responsibly managing the bilateral relationship," Zhao told Reuters.
"Against manned platforms we might expect China to exercise restraint, but against unmanned ones it becomes more uncertain — especially if Beijing believes that it's possible to contain fallout since it involves no crew," Koh said. "I'd expect they'd protest moderately but hope to sweep this under the rug and reinstate progress on senior-level visits within months," Twomey said, speaking in a private capacity.
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