China’s suspected spy balloon may set the stage for a “first strike attack” on America’s nuclear weapons, an expert warned. On February 4, the US shot down an unidentified flying object over South Carolina, with the aerial intruder coming from China. Beijing insisted the balloon was a civilian meteorological research airship blown off course, but tensions with Washington have surged as a result of the incident.
Now, Gordon G. Chang, author of The Coming Collapse of China, suggested the incursion could be “hinting at a first or second strike attack” on the US’ nuclear weapons.
The expert noted the balloon’s flight path took it over Malmstrom Air Force Base, where approximately a third of America’s land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles are held.
He also noted the object appeared over both F. E. Warren and Minot Air Force bases, then close to Whiteman Air Force Base, home to the nuclear-capable B-2 bomber fleet, and Offutt Air Force Base, headquarters of Strategic Command.
“Whatever China is planning, the violation of American territorial airspace was blatant and revealed the dangerous mentality of Chinese leadership”, he said.
Gordon then suggested in the New York Post that Xi Jinping has seen Russia’ threats “have been effective in getting President Biden to hold back on supplying military equipment for beleaguered Ukraine’.
“We cannot look into Xi’s mind, but we can see what he has been doing: preparing the People’s Republic of China for war”, he added.
“At the Communist Party’s 20th National Congress in October, he appointed his ‘war cabinet’.
“He is pushing the fastest military buildup since WWII, he is trying to sanctions-proof his regime and he’s mobilizing China’s civilians for battle.”
The expert, who previously was mocked for claiming China would collapse in 2011 and 2012, added that the “bold intrusion can be a Beijing head fake or the prelude to conflict”.
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“It’s hard to correct many of the US’ unreasonable behaviors with language or reason”, Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times.
“We need to take self-defense actions to make the US government view things on an equal footing when it comes to US-China relations.”
Diao Daming, an associate professor at the Renmin University of China, also said the US not only used armed force to shoot the airship down but also imposed groundless long-arm jurisdiction to sanction Chinese entities, “which is unacceptable”.
“It’s necessary and reasonable for us to respond to those unilateral moves,” he added.
“If the US sincerely hopes to communicate and cooperate with us, we’ll surely welcome it.
“But if it wants to use certain topics as leverage and sticks with a cold war mentality, it will be a delusion and we’ll confront it without fear.”
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