The discovery of a high-altitude Chinese spy balloon over the U.S. and the subsequent postponement of U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken’s planned trip to Beijing dashes hopes for a quick thaw in tensions between the two powers, according to a Northeastern diplomacy expert.
“My take is that the White House’s reaction is a little bit over the top,” says Mai’a Cross, dean’s professor of political science, international affairs and diplomacy, and director of Northeastern’s Center for International and World Cultures. “The stance that the Biden administration is taking is that if it allows this balloon to gather information, it could create a slippery slope toward signaling that any country could venture in U.S. airspace and collect U.S. intelligence with little ramifications.”
