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OPINION MARCH 03, 2023 | The Indian Eye 10

Making Sense of

the US–China Balloon Row

The alleged spy balloon over the US airspace could be an attempt by China to
make a statement about its growing capabilities

Courtesy: IDSA

NIRANJAN CHANDRASHEKHAR OAK counter-charges against the US for clear when analyzing the statements Third, the timing of the incident
violating Chinese airspace “over ten from the US and China. First, Chi- is interesting because it happened
he shooting down of the al- times without authorization from na has exploited the discrepancy in very close to Secretary Blinken’s visit
leged Chinese spy balloon China” with the help of high-alti- international law vis-à-vis airspace to China, which could have been the
Tover the United States (US) tude balloons. sovereignty. The US claimed that first visit by an US Secretary of State
airspace has exacerbated already the Chinese balloon violated its air- since 2018. This is in line with Chi-
strained relations between Washing- Although there has been a spate space. According to the Convention na’s habit of testing the opponent’s
ton and Beijing. The US Secretary on International Civil Aviation, ‘ev- resolve before or during high-level
of State Antony Blinken called the of incidents—at least four, so ery state has complete and exclusive meetings. India is no stranger to this
incident an “unacceptable violation far—involving unknown aerial sovereignty over the airspace above pattern.
of US sovereignty and international its territory’. However, there is no In 2014, People’s Liberation
law” and underscored that such an objects being shot over the US– mention of the upper limit of air Army (PLA) soldiers breached the
“act must never again occur” during Canadian airspace in the past sovereignty. What is beyond the grey territorial integrity of India in the
the meeting with the Chinese State area is that the sovereignty claim of Chumar sector of the Union Terri-
Councilor and Director of the Chi- fortnight, the balloon that was the country is not applicable in outer tory of Ladakh while President Xi
nese Communist Party (CCP) Cen- shot down on 4 February 2023 space. Nevertheless, Beijing’s use of Jinping was on an official visit to In-
tral Foreign Affairs Office Wang Yi the term Force Majeure—an inabil- dia. Similarly, Chinese Prime Minis-
on the sidelines of the Munich Se- stands out. ity to fulfil the contract—establishes ter Li Keqiang, Premier Wen Jiabao
curity Conference on 18 February that China had accepted deviation and President Hu Jintao’s visits to
2023. Earlier, Blinken cancelled a One, because the identity of the from international law. India in 2013, 2010 and 2006 re-
scheduled visit to Beijing in Febru- balloon has been ascertained, and Second, the recovered payload spectively, were preceded by border
ary 2023 in view of the balloon con- China has owned up to the same. from the balloon strongly suggests provocations.
troversy. China is calling it a civilian airship that it was more than just a civilian Thus, the alleged spy balloon
Yi termed the US act of down- used for meteorological research meteorological research airship. over the US airspace could be an at-
ing the balloon “an abuse of the use purposes. Two, the balloon was float- The antennas in the balloon indi- tempt by China to make a statement
of force and violation of custom- ing over Billings in the US state of cate that it was equipped for collect- about its growing capabilities. How-
ary international practice and the Montana, home to the Malmstrom ing intelligence signals. However, ever, it can be discerned that China
International Civil Aviation Cove- Air Force base and several sensitive the US did not elaborate on what had not considered the possibility
nant”. China has maintained that nuclear missile sites. Three, the bal- data the balloon could have relayed of exposing its alleged surveillance
the balloon had strayed into the US loon size was huge compared to the back to Beijing. Further, the Chi- programme and the subsequent can-
airspace due to Force Majeure, and other three objects, and the balloon nese balloon was fitted with solar cellation of Blinken’s visit. The inci-
insisted that Beijing strictly follows had the capability to man oeuvre. panels, which could have aided the dent only reaffirmed Washington’s
international law and respects all propulsion system. Thus, the Chi- resolve to simultaneously tackle the
countries’ sovereignty and territori- Decluttering the Mystery nese claim that the balloon was an Chinese challenge at the diplomatic
al integrity. Rather, China has made The following things are crystal innocent civilian airship falls flat. Continued on next page... >>

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