Ten days after a U.S. F-22 fighter aircraft downed a People’s Liberation Army surveillance balloon off the South Carolina coast, U.S. and Chinese officials are struggling to find an exit ramp.
They appear to have settled on a two-track strategy. The first aims to get past the Balloongate controversy. Both countries appear to want to restore business-like relations. The second part of the strategy is a public relations campaign to win the narrative. Both countries are playing the victim and pointing the finger at the other for aggressive, undiplomatic behavior.
U.S. national security officials are unrolling more details on the nature of Beijing’s spy programs. Chinese officials are fighting back, insisting on their farcical claim of an errant weather balloon drifting off course. They allege that Washington is doing exactly the things it accuses Beijing of doing. A foreign ministry spokesperson stated that more than 10 U.S. balloon flights have occurred over Chinese soil over the last year. The U.S.
Similarly, China could have retaliated in kind after the U.S. Commerce Department placed six additional Chinese entities on its export blacklist last week for being involved in Beijing’s balloon program. Such action would be in keeping with the Chinese Communist Party’s modus operandi; when Washington has sanctioned Chinese individuals or closed Chinese consulates on U.S. soil in the past, China has responded rapidly and proportionally.
The Biden administration has also taken pains to let everybody within earshot know that regular communications with China are imperative — if not to resolve intractable problems, then to ensure they don’t spiral into crises. When asked if the U.S. and China were still communicating after the U.S. shot down the balloon, the Pentagon told reporters that"responsible nations act responsibly, and we have always been and will remain open to communication to try to prevent miscalculation.
Yes, China hawks in Congress will groan about the very notion of a discussion with Beijing. There are probably more than a few on China’s side of the equation demanding the same hostility in Beijing. But leaders with foresight don’t have the luxury of mouthing popular but empty slogans — especially if they lead the world’s most important bilateral relationship.Daniel DePetris is a contributor to the Washington Examiner's Beltway Confidential blog. His opinions are his own.
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