As top diplomats get ready to attend talks in Beijing, the US defence department said on Thursday that it is keeping an eye on what it believes to be a ‘Chinese spy balloon’ floating over the western state of Montana. This highlights the mutual suspicion between the world’s two largest economies.

Also Read| Who are the Gang of Eight?

The balloon was discovered by the Biden administration on Thursday. It was said to have been sighted earlier in the week and was most recently seen soaring more than 40,000 feet (12,000 metres) over Montana. Since the state is home to the Air Force’s 34th Missile Wing and its Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles, the site is sensitive. Although China has not yet responded to the event, a spokesman for the Defense Department stated that the US had “high confidence” that it belonged to the nation without providing any justification.

President Joe Biden was warned against firing down the balloon by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin due to the potential risk of flying debris. It was determined that the “sizable” object was substantial enough to potentially inflict damage while the balloon was drifting over sparsely populated areas of Montana when officials were considering the possibility. Since it is floating far beyond the altitude at which commercial aeroplanes fly, there is probably no immediate danger to the general population.

The balloon’s presence in the US comes at a sensitive time as Secretary of State Antony Blinken is anticipated to travel to Beijing in the coming days, a significant trip intended to follow up on President Joe Biden’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping last year. US national security officials have consistently warned about Chinese espionage efforts.

Also Read| Who was Paul Lindner?

According to Josh Lipsky, senior director of the GeoEconomics Center at the Atlantic Council, it is obvious that the US wanted to let China know that it was aware of the balloon before Blinken landed there.

According to another defence official, the US believes Chinese spy satellites in low Earth orbit can provide comparable or better intelligence, which limits the usefulness of whatever information Beijing may obtain from the three-bus-sized high-altitude balloon.

Also Read| Why was Lindner Place renamed Acorn Way?

According to the person, the US government has communicated with the Chinese government both through the Chinese embassy in Washington and the US diplomatic mission in China.