Recently, President Biden blamed the Chinese spy balloon getting shot down earlier this year for the worsening relationship between the U.S. and China. During a press conference in Hiroshima, Japan, Biden claimed “this silly balloon” was shot down and “everything changed in terms of talking to one another.”
After calling the spy balloon that had prolonged access to American airspace a “silly balloon, ” Biden asserted that he believes the tense relationship between the U.S. and China will soon normalize. He said, “I think you’re going to see that begin to thaw really shortly.” Biden also said the U.S. and China should maintain an open line of communication, claiming he and Xi Jinping had an amicable meeting last year. Then Biden alleged, “And then this silly balloon carrying two freight cars worth of spy equipment flew over the United States and it got shot down and everything changed in terms of talking to one another.”
“I think you’re going to see that begin to thaw really shortly,” Biden added, “I think you’re going to see that begin to thaw really shortly.” The president also downplayed fears of a global conflict ensuing between China and the U.S. and its allies. “I don’t think there’s anything inevitable about the notion that there’s going to be this conflict between the United States and the West and/or Japan and Korea and the Quad,” Biden said.
The spy balloon, which traveled over the United States for days, sparked a massive backlash against the Biden administration’s response. Reports indicated that the balloon was able to collect “sensitive” intelligence on the U.S. military and transmit it back to China. NBC News reported:
China was able to control the balloon so it could make multiple passes over some of the sites (at times flying figure eight formations) and transmit the information it collected back to Beijing in real time, the three officials said. The intelligence China collected was mostly from electronic signals, which can be picked up from weapons systems or include communications from base personnel, rather than images, the officials said.
Former president Donald Trump slammed the Biden administration, claiming the incident would never have happened under his leadership. Trump said, “This never happened. It would have never happened. It never happened with us under the Trump administration, and if it did, we would have shot it down immediately. It’s disinformation.”
Biden’s relationship with Chinese nationals has also come into question recently as House Republicans have been investigating the business dealings of the Biden family. According to a press release from the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability:
…The financial records also reveal how the Bidens used complicated transactions to hide payments from foreign nationals, including CCP-linked associates, and provide clear indications of influence peddling schemes during then-Vice President Biden’s tenure.
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Chinese Nationals Hid the Source of the Money: Chinese nationals and companies with significant ties to Chinese intelligence and the Chinese Communist Party hid the source of the funds paid out to the Bidens by layering domestic limited liability companies. The Biden family and associates’ activities in coordination with Chinese nationals and their corporate entities appear to be an attempt to engage in financial deception. Multiple Biden family members received money from the Chinese after it passed through an associate’s account. Additionally, Hunter Biden received money directly into his company’s account from a Chinese-controlled entity.
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