Washington (United States of America), February 18 (ANI): The Biden administration has imposed new sanctions on China, targeting the country’s several companies for supporting Beijing‘s military modernization efforts,, as part of its response to a Chinese spy balloon that traversed U.S. airspace last week, The New York Times reported.

The Commerce Department added five Chinese companies and one research institute to its so-called entity list, which will prevent companies from selling them American parts and technologies without a special license. Officials said the six entities had supported Chinese military programs related to airships and balloons used for intelligence and reconnaissance, the publication reported.

Earlier this week, the US Commerce Department added five Chinese companies and one research institute connected to Beijing‘s aerospace programs including airships and balloons to an export blacklist.

The Commerce Department said the six entities were supporting “China‘s military modernization efforts, specifically the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) aerospace programs including airships and balloons.” The Chinese government has tried to downplay the incident, arguing that the balloon was a civilian device for monitoring weather.

The entities that the United States targeted Friday were Beijing Nanjiang Aerospace Technology Company, Dongguan Lingkong Remote Sensing Technology Company, Eagles Men Aviation Science and Technology Group Company, Guangzhou Tian-Hai-Xiang Aviation Technology Company, Shanxi Eagles Men Aviation Science and Technology Group Company and China Electronics Technology Group Corporation 48th Research Institute, The New York Times reported.

The Commerce Department did not specify whether the companies and the institute had played a direct role in developing or operating the balloon that flew across the United States. But the Biden administration said earlier this week that it would consider taking action against any entities that had aided the balloon’s flight.

The balloon was shot down by a highly advanced US fighter jet last week. President Joe Biden congratulated US fighter pilots for taking down the balloon in the country’s airspace and above its territorial waters. The Pentagon decried what it called China‘s unacceptable violation of US airspace.

China has expressed regret blaming unfavourable winds for pushing what it calls a “civilian airship” into US airspace. Beijing China insists the balloon was a “civilian airship used for research, mainly meteorological purposes,” and it unintentionally veered off into US airspace.

Notably, the US shot down the giant balloon, which China claimed to be a civilian airship used for research mainly meteorological, on February 4 after it hovered over the country for a week. Beijing denies it uses spy balloons and says the craft was for weather research. Subsequently, it accused Washington of sending its own espionage balloons over its territory, which the US denied. The spate had led US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to cancel a rare visit to China abruptly.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration imposed new sanctions on China, targeting the country’s several companies for supporting Beijing‘s military modernization efforts, reported GlobalSecurity.org. The US Commerce Department on Friday said that it added five Chinese companies and one research institute connected to Beijing‘s aerospace programs including airships and balloons to an export blacklist.

The Commerce Department said the six entities supported “China‘s military modernization efforts, specifically the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) aerospace programs including airships and balloons.”

The six companies include Beijing Nanjiang Aerospace Technology Co; China Electronics Technology Group Corporation 48th Research Institute; and Dongguan Lingkong Remote Sensing Technology Co.
The other three are Eagles Men Aviation Science and Technology Group Co.; Guangzhou Tian-Hai-Xiang Aviation Technology Co.; along with Shanxi Eagles Men Aviation Science and Technology Group Co. (ANI)

Balloon incident ‘must never again occur’: Blinken tells China’s top diplomat Wang

Munich [Germany], February 19 (ANI): US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met China’s top diplomat Wang Yi on Saturday and warned him not to repeat its “irresponsible act” of sending spy balloons into American airspace, The Washington Post reported.

“The secretary made clear the United States will not stand for any violation of our sovereignty,” said State Department spokesman Ned Price underlining that Blinken had also warned China for its balloon incursion and called it an “irresponsible act” and warned that it “must never again occur.”

Taking to Twitter, Blinken said, “Just met with the PRC’s top diplomat, Wang Yi. I condemned the incursion of the PRC surveillance balloon and stressed it must never happen again. I warned China against providing material support to Russia. I also emphasized the importance of keeping open lines of communication.”

This statement came while the two top diplomats met on the sidelines of the annual Munich Security Conference. During the meeting, the two diplomats discussed various issues, including Chinese surveillance and the country’s alliance with Moscow — topics that have brought diplomatic relations between Beijing and Washington to new lows, reported The Washington Post.

At the annual Munich Security Conference, leaders from across the globe have gathered to discuss key geopolitical challenges including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s contentious engagement with the West. Blinken also reiterated to Wang comments he had made publicly about Beijing’s alleged balloon surveillance program, saying it has “intruded into the air space of over 40 countries across 5 continents [and] has been exposed to the world,” Price said.

The viewpoint of China is looming particularly large at the traditionally Eurocentric conference given the surprise announcement that Chinese President Xi Jinping is planning to deliver a “peace speech” on the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to The Washington Post.

Wang was much more critical in describing the United States’ handling of the balloon incident, saying the Biden administration’s actions were “absurd and hysterical.” China’s top diplomat Wang Yi alleged the US of trying to “smear” the Asian giant while it itself was implementing policies that ran counter to its paradigms such as free trade.

Washington, he said, had the wrong view of China as a serious geopolitical challenge and a threat to the United States. “This is a misguided perception of China and with this perception, the United States is using all of its means to smear and clamp down on China and is co-opting other countries to do the same,” he said.

He said that US President Joe Biden’s administration has a “misguided” perception of Beijing. “There are many balloons from many countries in the sky. Do you want to down each and every one of them?” said Wang.

He also urged the US “not to do such preposterous things simply to divert attention from its own domestic problems.” Notably, the US shot down the giant balloon, which China claimed to be a civilian airship used for research mainly meteorological, on February 4 after it hovered over the country for a week.

Blinken had been due to travel to Beijing earlier this month but abruptly called off the visit amid the balloon incursion. Negotiations over whether to hold this meeting in Munich had gone on for days, underscoring the strain in a relationship where meetings between top diplomats used to be commonplace, said officials familiar with the matter. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. (ANI)