The diplomatic relations between the United States and China are characterized by tension following the detection of a spy balloon and the withdrawal of panda diplomacy, which heightened the strain in relations.
Detection of the Chinese Spy Balloon
On December 8, Taiwanese Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng shared with journalists information regarding the suspected Chinese air balloon crossing the sensitive median line of the Strait at a time when elections were just a month away and tensions were escalating.
Media reports speculated that the suspected air balloon was one of those spy balloons used by China for surveillance. Very shortly after, the minister’s remarks brought the global political stage back to the contentious dispute between the United States and China when a high-altitude Chinese balloon was seen drifting in U.S. airspace from January 28 to February 4, before being finally shot down by the U.S. Air Force over territorial waters off the coast of South Carolina.
Freezing Diplomatic Relations and the Withdrawal of Panda Diplomacy
The sighting of the Chinese balloon in U.S. airspace led to a political uproar between the two countries, resulting in the sudden cancellation of U.S. diplomat Antony Blinken’s trip to Beijing scheduled for February 5-6.
A military operation was carried out involving multiple fighter jets, refueling aircraft, and an F-22 fighter jet to bring down the balloon. The U.S. government did not disclose the sites that were surveyed by the Chinese balloon, but it was reported that it flew over Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, which is responsible for nuclear forces.
China asserted that it was using the balloon as a civilian tool for meteorological purposes and that it had entered U.S. airspace “completely by accident.”
After canceling his visit to China, Blinken met with senior officials at the Chinese embassy, as well as Deputy Secretary Wendy Sherman, to convey “a strong set of messages.” A team had already been directed by Biden to protect sensitive site information from Chinese surveillance until the mission was complete.
Was the balloon a failure or just a fuss?
It wasn’t until months later in June that the U.S. Department of Defense revealed, after analyzing the balloon debris, that it had not collected any information.
Pentagon spokesperson General Pat Ryder stated that the U.S. “was aware that [the balloon] had collection capabilities. But our assessment now is that it did not collect while transiting the U.S. or flying over the U.S.”
U.S. intelligence hinted that China might have suspended its surveillance balloon program following the significant diplomatic escalation. However, the incident left many questions unanswered, such as why China chose balloons instead of satellites and what the objective was?
Abhijit Iyer-Mitra, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies in New Delhi, said: “This was not the first time an Asian balloon from China crossed over. This incident was one of the more ridiculous and antiquated incidents and showed an unskilled way to gather information. This is because there is nothing a balloon can do better than a satellite, with more precision and accuracy. This seemed far from challenging American hegemony and looked something like a joke.”
Hurdles in Panda Diplomacy between the United States and China
In the early 1970s, which witnessed “ping-pong” diplomacy between the U.S. and China, table tennis players were exchanged between the two countries as an attempt to establish relations.
This was the same diplomacy that paved the way for President Richard Nixon’s historic visit to Beijing in 1972, where a pair of pandas were gifted by Beijing to the National Smithsonian Park – marking the beginning of panda diplomacy.
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At that time, pandas became an unofficial barometer of the relationship between China and the United States. However, in 2023, panda diplomacy between the two countries collapsed as the contract for loaning these furry animals expired and was not renewed.
In November, the last three remaining pandas at the Smithsonian National Zoo were returned to China after residing in the United States for over 50 years. The departure of the pandas from the U.S. emerged as evidence of a significant shift in the complex relationship, where tension seems to overshadow the allure of the cute bears.
A Step Forward or a Step Backward – Where is China Headed?
Amid these strained relations, Xi Jinping made a political visit to the United States and held the long-anticipated talks with Biden in San Francisco on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
The meetings resulted in some important decisions made by both countries, such as the resumption of military-to-military communication and cooperation in combating drugs, while hot-button issues like Taiwan remained part of the discussion.
However, after the meeting with Biden, Xi hinted at the return of the pandas – describing them as “envoys of friendship between the Chinese and American peoples.”
Suyaash Desai, a resident researcher in Taiwan on Chinese military and foreign policy, stated: “China uses panda diplomacy to ease rising tensions between the two countries. It’s an ancient diplomatic practice dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Given the current geopolitical tensions between the countries, it is likely that the pandas will be recalled, which would be a highly symbolic gesture by China. Also, in the current scenario, I wouldn’t be surprised if the rest of the pandas are recalled next year when the contract expires.”
It will be interesting to see if the pandas will play a significant role in enhancing relations between the two countries in 2024 or if they will reach a new low.
About the Author
Priyasha is a digital journalist at WION, primarily covering international politics. She enjoys diving into articles and exploring the cultures and histories of various places. She believes in purpose-driven journalism and finds solace in books.
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